The governing party’s hopes of gaining political support from over 5-million followers of the Nazareth Baptist Church, popularly known as Shembe, have been dashed.
Shembe, one of the biggest African religion churches, has announced that it will contest the 2024 general elections on its own through the Afrika Unite Congress.
The political party was launched on Sunday in Durban.
Founding president Lizwi Ncwane said although the party has been formed by members of the church, it is not an extension of Shembe.
“There must be a distinct separation between the spiritual side of the church and the political party. This formation represents every South Africans,” said Ncwane.
He said the new political party was formed following massive consultations which concluded that citizens are disillusioned with the current government.
The consultations pointed to many people yearning for a new political alternative that will confront the country’s challenges.
The latest developments follow hot on the heels of an announcement by the ANC’s heavyweight that it has a programme that will bring the Shembe church closer.
Recently, ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa led a delegation of the party’s national executive committee to pay a courtesy visit to the church’s spiritual leader Mduduzi “Unyazi” Shembe with hopes to garner votes.
The plan was part of the governing party’s strategy to retain KwaZulu-Natal in the upcoming general elections.
The plan also includes tightening ties with AmaZulu King MisuZulu kaZwelithini.
The ANC in the province has been suffering back-to-back electoral defeats owing to the resurgence of the IFP.
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