Mpumalanga Premier and provincial ANC chairperson Mandla Ndlovu on Sunday braved the line between church and campaign, stepping behind the pulpit to predict a decisive ANC victory in this year’s local government elections.
Ndlovu was addressing congregants at the GNF Church in Embalenhle, in the Govan Mbeki subregion, days before the ANC’s January 8 Statement celebrations scheduled for Saturday in Secunda.
Clad in political confidence and a preacher’s mantle, Ndlovu urged worshippers to pray for the governing party as it approaches both its 114th provincial anniversary and the upcoming 2026 elections, whose date is yet to be announced.
“Pray for the success of the provincial celebration of the ANC. Our party is turning 114 years old. I trust in Jesus, and I believe his blood saves,” Ndlovu told the congregation. “The church must pray for the elections.”
He said the ANC respected religion and would not attempt to rival divine authority, insisting political victory ultimately flowed from God.
“We can see Canaan from here. Believers, we are not contesting the Kingdom of God. When the kingdom arrives, we will step aside and let God reign,” he said.
“We are not contesting God. We are contesting the DA, the UMkhonto weSizwe Party [MKP], and the EFF. We are asking you to pray for them to accept the results of the upcoming elections.”
Analysts predict the worst for the ANC
The appeal comes against the backdrop of the ANC’s worst electoral performance since 1994.
In the 2024 national elections, voters sent the ANC into a government of national unity, with parties like the MKP claiming massive electoral fraud.
Mpumalanga, one of the ANC-led provinces, narrowly avoided the possibility of a provincial unity government.
Ndlovu acknowledged that disputes and dissatisfaction, particularly from opposition parties, accompanied previous elections.
“Pray for them because they are going to be defeated. We don’t want noise in Mpumalanga. Elections in this country are free and fair,” he said.
However, analysts have predicted that the ANC will do worse in local government elections, where people vote directly for doorstep service delivery, as opposed to national elections, which are more about party loyalty.
In the 2021 municipal elections, the party suffered a bruising urban bloodbath, losing outright control of key metros and slipping below 50% nationally for the first time.
Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, eThekwini and Nelson Mandela Bay were left hung, forcing unstable coalitions and signalling deep voter discontent with service delivery, corruption and internal factionalism.
Spiritual counsel and divine empowerment
Ndlovu stated that the ANC would benefit greatly from God’s assistance this time around.
Leaning heavily on scripture, he argued that political leadership had always depended on spiritual counsel and divine empowerment, calling on churches to play an active role in national affairs.
“The Bible teaches me that Prophet Samuel was an advisor to King Saul. High Priest Abiathar worked with King David. Azariah worked with King Solomon,” he preached.
“I’m here to request the church to take its rightful position. Don’t leave us all alone. We need to sing, knowing the church is on our side.”
He also asked for prayers for President Cyril Ramaphosa and his government as the ANC seeks to rebuild credibility after the shocks of 2021 and steady itself ahead of another fiercely contested local government poll.
