Among laws former president Jacob Zuma wants to change should uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party get into governance in 2024 elections is to decriminalise spanking of children by their parents, he told a church congregation in Cape Town on Sunday.
Zuma visited the church of popular apostle Moosa Joshua Mohlala in Phillipi for a service themed “Prophetic Pillowcase” at the weekend. The former president received a warm welcome at the church, was given a special chair and had a white fluffy carpet laid out for him on stage.
The laws we have are weak. The government says parents cannot raise children the way they were raised. There is a contact number given to children to call police when their parents spank them. Under our government, you will raise your child the way see fit so they become better people in future
— Former president Jacob Zuma
After he delivered his speech, Zuma asked the congregation whether they would “liberate themselves” by voting for the MK party. The “yes” from the crowd was muffled. Zuma repeatedly asked the question, looking for a roaring response.
The congregants, however, enjoyed his singing of his electioneering song Umshini Wami and fully backed it.
In his speech, Zuma reiterated his views that “unmarried teenage girls” who fall pregnant would be sent to Robben Island to continue with their studies to be removed from the communities where they were raised.
He said their male partners would join them should MK party take over governance in 2024 national and provincial elections.
“MK is the one that will liberate us. We are destroying our children by letting them drink alcohol day in and out. The laws we have are weak. The government says parents cannot raise children the way they were raised. There is a contact number given to children to call police when their parents spank them. Under our government, you will raise your child the way see fit so they become better people in future,” he said.
“There is no child aged 12-16 not married that will get pregnant. We will build a university in Robben Island, and they will study there until they are older — along with the boys that impregnated them. We are working for God. I’m sure you [the congregation] will agree now.”
In 2019, the Constitutional Court delivered a ruling criminalising parents spanking their children.
Zuma's ambitious adjustments to the laws relating to punishment of children have been simmering for years. In 2018 he criticised abolishment of corporal punishment at schools.
Zuma, who was the president of the country for almost two full terms, promised the congregation his new party under his leadership would implement drastic changes to governance.
“We will stop the exporting of raw mineral resources, gold and silver because it makes Western countries rich and we are left poor. We will build firms which will process gold and silver here in South Africa,” he said.
If the “majority” would fail in the mandate to give African parties the majority of votes, he would be shocked. He told the congregation: “That must not happen, right?”
The churchgoers said “yes” in low tones, and he repeated: “We will free ourselves with our votes, right? Or do you want things to remain the same?”
The endorsement sounded better, though not at the church’s full capacity.
Watch the full service here.
Political parties have been embracing African spirituality and visiting traditional leaders as part of their election run. Many of the parties have paid visits to popular churches.
Zuma has visited so far the Shembe church and Bishop Bafana Stephen Zondo's Rivers of Living Waters Ministries.
Earlier this month, ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba visited Grace Bible Church in Pimville.
In January, President Cyril Ramaphosa visited Shembe Nazareth Baptist Church and announced the ANC would build a 1,000-sleeper building for the church as a donation.
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