SA se Staat/Kerk-komplot versterk

Jacob Zuma -- Photo from South Africa P.I.C.

In an earlier post I wrote about my fear that South African politics are turning “religious” and that this may lead to a slippery slope where Church and State becomes dangerously intimate. In that post I referred to the political party COPE’s decision to put forth Bishop Mvume Dandale forward as their presidential candidate.

In 2007 an independent charismatic church ordained Jacob Zuma as an honorary pastor.

Recently Zuma, the ANC president and likely the next South African president, has started a clear campaign amongst churches. It started with his appearance at the Rhema mega church in Randburg, South Africa, on Sunday, 15 March. Three days later Jacob Zuma was blessed by a meeting of religious and traditional leaders in Mafikeng – saying that “if God is for [the ANC] who can be against us”. Zuma called the ANC “baptized” and a “child of the church”.

This is not the first in religious rhetoric by the ANC. Earlier this year ANC leaders compared Zuma to Jesus Christ, saying: “In church they sing that they will follow Jesus wherever he goes. That’s how we should be about Jacob Zuma”.

Furthermore, what are we to make of the government's refusal to allow the Dalai Lama to enter South Africa?