SIXOLISE GCILISHE | We’re politicians, not lepers — time for the church to bury the hatchet

I have sat in pews and listened to sermons that paint politicians as modern-day lepers, unworthy of grace, fellowship, or trust, for far too long. This narrative has sparked a fierce debate in my home, my community and even within my own soul.

As a proud member of the EFF and a committed Christian, I stand firm in my submission that the church must stop treating politicians as though we are all inherently diseased. If we were being truthful, we would acknowledge that some of us are genuine believers who are born and bred in the church. Some of us have been fellowshipping alongside others of the same faith and have invested our time and resources in advancing the teachings of Christ just as fervently as we fight for justice in political arenas. In fact, I would argue that the parallels between church ministry and political activism are undeniable. Both are rooted in a profound love for the people.

One cannot genuinely serve in a church ministry without having a heart for humanity. Equally so, one cannot dedicate their life to dismantling oppressive systems in politics without that same love driving them forward. Yet every Sunday, I find myself subjected to sermons that vilify politicians, lumping us all together under the guise of political thugs. I do, however, commend my church for its awareness and ability to discern the political climate and the state of our nation. My biggest frustration lies in the church’s inability to distinguish between people like me who are activists fighting for the marginalised and the corrupt criminals who dominate the ANC. The blanket condemnation is not just unfair to us activists, but also serves as a betrayal of the church’s own calling to seek justice and truth.

The EFF, which I have been a part of for 11 years, was founded precisely to address the growing chasm between the rich and the poor illuminating a gap that has widened under the watch of a ruling party that has had 30 years to deliver on its promises. Three decades is too long for empty rhetoric. As the EFF our emphasis is on urgency, hence our insistence on the now. This is our approach, and it stems from an acute awareness that the crises of racialised poverty, inequality, underdevelopment and landlessness are not abstract future problems. They are happening now and demand solutions now. We are a generation committed to economic emancipation, and we are unwilling to let another year pass without radical change. This is not a political gimmick but rather a moral imperative that we are actively pursuing daily.

The church often fails to see this. Instead, it joins the chorus of those who wrongly hold every parliamentarian accountable for decisions like the recent VAT increase. The fact of the matter, however, is that the EFF has never and will never feed the beast of capitalism. We have been consistent in this since inception, and we will never sell out our people. The VAT hike was a decision driven by the ANC and its Government of National Unity , not the EFF, and we have used every available platform to communicate our rejection of the increase in VAT. 

The 2025 Fiscal Framework and Revenue Proposals were rammed through in a chaotic, procedurally flawed meeting of the standing committee on finance. We rejected it outright and even wrote to the speaker of parliament demanding its withdrawal from the order paper. Our pleas were ignored. The church, and the public, must know the difference between those who fight for the people and those who exploit them.

I am all for accountability and I welcome the scrutiny, and they are correct to call politicians out when they behave in a manner that seeks to benefit a select few at the expense of the majority. The EFF has spent 11 years shining a spotlight on parliament and ensuring that the people of South Africa are interested, involved and informed. This is done in the spirit that illustrates that we are firm believers in the principle of “nothing for the people without the people”. Through our actions we have repeatedly proved that the EFF is not part of the 1994 elite pact that sold out true liberation. We have never been a silent voice as we have remained radical. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the masses on picket lines, demanding justice and dignity. But where is the church in these battles?

Where was the church when Mboro was terrorising teachers with a panga at a school? What did it say when Timothy Omotoso was acquitted despite facing over 30 charges of rape, racketeering and human trafficking charges so grave a woman died in the process? Silence. What is the church saying about the genocide of children in Palestine, where people of faith wait idly as years pass and bodies pile up? Where was its voice in the call for justice for Cwecwe? The church’s muteness in the face of such atrocities is deafening.

It’s offensive to suggest that politicians like me thrive on the suffering of the poor, as if we engineered this state of affairs. Before the land thieves and racist settlers colonised us, we lived in peace. To imply that we want the poor to remain poor is as absurd as suggesting the church wants sinners to never repent. We are not the enemy. We are fighting the same fight against poverty, corruption and inequality. The church and politicians like me should be allies, joining forces to call out the useless, corrupt and incompetent who hide undeclared millions under their mattresses and sofas. Together, we could build an alternative community where men don’t rape, where women and children feel safe, where justice is not a distant dream but a lived reality.

It appears the church has retreated from its legacy of activism. It no longer produces leaders such as the late Desmond Tutus, whose fearless voice spoke truth to power. Instead, it blankets all politicians in condemnation, afraid to offend the powerful and unwilling to take sides. In doing so, it turns a blind eye to the truth while wrongfully claiming neutrality on pertinent issues to avoid being “political”. Ironic really when one considers that politics is becoming spiritual and we in the EFF are advocating for an alternative people and culture much like the kingdom of God the church professes to seek.

The church must recognise that not all politicians are cut from the same cloth because some of us are in this struggle because our faith demands it. Our love for the people is not a political slogan but rather a conviction forged in the fires of worship and service. We are not lepers to be shunned but partners to be embraced. The church and activists should unite against the real enemies, poverty, corruption and injustice. We must call the corrupt by name and not by profession. Ultimately, we need to build a society where the teachings of Christ and the demands of justice are one and the same. The time for division is over. Activists and the church must be in alliance.

• Sixolise Gcilishe is an MP deployed by the EFF 

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