Catholic Church latest theatre of contest among ANC presidential contenders ​

The ANC’s succession battle has divided one of the country's largest churches.

Cracks within the higher echelons of the Catholic Church emerged this week, when ANC presidential contender Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma visited the Vatican City, the headquarters of the church.

Dlamini-Zuma also took her political campaign to the Mariannhill Catholic Church in KwaZulu-Natal in July this year.

She arrived in Rome on Tuesday for a conference hosted by the Centre for Child Protection at the Pontifical Gregorian University. The former AU Commission chairwoman also had an audience with Pope Francis on Friday.

There’s also unhappiness in the church about Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent visit to the Jan Kempdorp chapter of the churn in the Northern Cape.

The use of the church for political campaigns by the ANC’s warring sides has divided the church such that its leaders have resolved to convene a meeting next Sunday to decide whether it should continue giving platforms to ANC politicians.

But a church bishop based in KwaZulu-Natal has defended a decision to allow Dlamini-Zuma to campaign at his church.

However, other leading men of the cloth have expressed a different view, saying no politician should be allowed to address church functions.

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