ANC wants to revive relations with churches
The party believes this will solve some of its woes leading to the polls
The ANC in East London is pinning its hope on a revived relationship with churches to solve some of the party’s woes.
Speaking at a prayer session at the Abbotsford Christian Centre on Friday, ANC East London zone treasurer Bhelekazi Mabandla said the newly elected leadership wanted to rebuild its relationship with the church.
“The churches have been complaining that the ANC has distanced itself from the church.”
She said it was important for the church to work with the ANC as the leaders of moral regeneration.
“We need the church to tell us when we go the wrong way. What we see in society today is a broken relationship between the church and the ANC.
“We really do believe if we can have that relationship, things will change. That is what we want to achieve tonight,” Mabandla said.
The a prayer service was to “pray back the city and the economy”.
ANC provincial executive committee (PEC) member Sindiswa Gomba, who delivered the keynote address at Friday’s prayer session, also denounced patriarchy and called on women to emulate the likes of antiapartheid activist, Albertina Sisulu.
“Women are not yet at a point where they should be recognised by the society equally as men,” she said.
Gomba said women were a societal building block nurturing children.
She said it was important for women to be seen as the basic structure of society.
“We were born into a patriarchal society and the socialisation of women and men has always been different.
“We need a society where women and men are recognised equally, and we will fight for that,” Gomba said.
Friday’s prayer service was one of several activities the party had at the weekend.
With South Africans set to go to the polls next year for the national and provincial elections, parties are expected to intensify their campaigning and criss-cross the country, drumming up support for the polls.
Yesterday, ANC branches in Komani were expected to have a prayer session of their own, where they were planning to ask for divine intervention in stabilising the troubled Enoch Mgijima municipality.
PEC member Fundile Gade addressed a Thuma Mina campaign rally in Tsolo on Friday.
Speaking to the Daily Dispatch yesterday Gade said his central message was the Thuma Mina campaign, a volunteer campaign unveiled by party president Cyril Ramaphosa in his January 8 statement.
“The ANC made strategic calls for party unity and renewal. We are also looking into building radical economic transforma- tion.
“Critical to the Thuma Mina campaign is that it speaks to those beyond the membership of the ANC and sees the ANC as a parliament of the people,” Gade said, adding he had also stressed the need for building an ANC leadership with integrity and moral standing in society.
Provincial chairman Oscar Mabuyane delivered the Freedom Charter memorial lecture in Grahamstown and visited struggle stalwart Fundiswa Mahlakahlaka, 100, at the eThembeni Old Age Home Centre in Grahamstown on Friday.
Senior ANC leader Gugile Nkwinti spoke on expropriation of land without compensation in Kenton-on-Sea yesterday, while Aaron Motsoaledi, who was flanked by ANC Ingquza Hill sub-regional acting secretary Mesuli Ngqondwana, delivered the Malizo Mpehle memorial lecture in Tsolo on Friday.