'God chose ANC to lead'

18 July 2016 - 09:05 By APHIWE DE KLERK

The ANC was anointed by God to lead South Africa. That is according to the party's secretary-general, Gwede Mantashe, speaking in a packed Assembly of God Church in Nyanga, Cape Town, yesterday.Mantashe has been campaigning in Western Cape - the latest high-level ANC member to be sent to help wrestle the province from DA control."According to our belief, we were anointed by God to lead the country from oppression to freedom and there are things that show us that we have that anointment," Mantashe told the congregants. He said there were signs that made him believe this because of their similarity to events described in the Bible."OR Tambo stayed with the ANC in exile for 30 years but when we were about to get freedom the next year he died," said Mantashe.He said this was similar to the story of Moses, who led the Israelites to the Promised Land but did not live to experience it.Mantashe said Nelson Mandela led the country in the same way as the biblical Joshua."These examples give us the belief that there is anointment and a directive given to us by God that this country should be led by the ANC," he said. Mantashe is not the only senior ANC leader to use religion when campaigning for the ruling party.President Jacob Zuma once caused an uproar when he declared that his party would lead South Africa until the second coming of Jesus Christ.Mantashe asked the congregation to pray for the ANC to rid itself of corruption.He said campaigning in Cape Town had given him hope that the ANC would win the elections and rule the city.Speaking to journalists after the service, Mantashe described Cape Town as "two cities in one"."[It is a] city of the developed and rich, and a city of the poor, where no resources are directed. I compare townships here in Cape Town and in Ekurhuleni in Gauteng."There is a big difference in terms of capital expenditure in poor areas," the ANC leader said...

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