The DA has demanded that President Jacob Zuma apologise to all South Africans for his attempt to employ religious threats for political ends.

The DA says the President is quoted in the Sunday press as having told residents of Mthatha:

"When you vote for the ANC, you are also choosing to go to heaven. When you don't vote for the ANC you should know that you are choosing that man who carries a fork ... who cooks people [...] When you are carrying an ANC membership card, you are blessed. When you get up there, there are different cards used but when you have an ANC card, you will be let through to go to heaven [...] When (Jesus) fetches us we will find (them) wearing black, green and gold, the holy ones belong to the ANC."

The opposition party says in other words, the president said that a vote for the opposition is a vote for the devil, and a vote for the ANC is a vote for Jesus.

"Ordinary South Africans of all backgrounds and creeds will find the President's comments offensive and unacceptable."

"His words are incendiary and dangerous, in that they seek to mobilise along religious lines, and sow seeds of division in our communities."

The DA says: "Indeed, this is an act of shameless political and religious blackmail -- the sort of political skulduggery that may be the norm in autocracies, but that should be anathema to our constitutional democracy."

"Zuma should apologise unreservedly for these remarks."