The African National Congress (ANC) Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for divine intervention in the upcoming elective conference to be held in Johannesburg next week.
He was speaking at the Shembe Nazareth Baptist Church at Mtubatuba, north of KwaZulu-Natal. He also met with the Ebuhleni faction of the church Mduduzi Shembe behind closed door.
Ramaphosa has pleaded with the church leaders to pray for a peaceful elective congress of the ANC.
He received a warm welcome by the congregants and the leader of the eBuhleni faction of the Shembe Nazareth church in the Thokozani temple in Mtubatuba in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Ramaphosa was accompanied by the former KwaZulu-Natal Economic Development MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu.
Earlier in the week Ramaphosa received 191 nominations from branches of the ANC while his contender Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma received just over 400 at the party’s provincial general council. Ramaphosa who was all smiles after meeting the church leader says it is important that religious leaders prays for the ANC.
“To pay my respect to the leader of the Nazareth church Shembe and I had promised that I would come. They wanted me to come because they wanted to pray for the conference. I specifically asked that the Shembe church should pray for the ANC conference because I believe it is important that our religious leaders should put the ANC conference in their prayers.”
Ramaphosa says he is happy with the outcome of various provincial councils. He says the numbers of various branch nominations have kept him in the ANC presidential race.
Meanwhile, Ramaphosa down played the judgment by the High Court in Pretoria, which set aside the appointment of NPA chief Shaun Abrahams. The NPA says it intends to file a notice of an application for leave to appeal.
It also notes that the court order was suspended for a period of 60 days, and states that Abrahams therefore remains in his position as National Director of Public Prosecutions.
The high court order also ruled that President Jacob Zuma could not appoint a new NDPP because of being conflicted, and gave Ramaphosa 60 days to make the appointment. Ramaphosa says the matter will be handled in the interest of the people of South Africa.
“I have heard this rumour from the court that has given the judgment. The matter is still sub judice and at the same time the NPA is going to be appealing. I think the President is also going to be appealing. This matter is still fluid so very much sub judice. I would appeal to everyone that people should not get excited and people should not get over concerned. This matter will be properly handled and it will be handled in the interest of our people as a whole. That is our primary focus. What is in the best interest of the people of South Africa. ”
Ramaphosa also paid tribute to the leader of the late Thembezinhle faction, Vela ZShembe, of the Nazareth Baptist Church at Mthwalume on the south coast.
