Ramaphosa pledges that the government will construct residences for members of the Shembe congregation
Cyril Ramaphosa, the president of the ANC, visited the Nazareth Baptist Church, also known as the Shembe Church, on Saturday. He pledged that the government would construct more houses in Inanda, near Ebuhleni, where the church, with eight million members, has its headquarters.
This visit to Ebuhleni is seen as an attempt by the ANC to secure support ahead of the upcoming elections, as the party faces strong competition from its splinter group, the Umkhonto weSizwe party (MK), which threatens to challenge the ruling party's majority in KwaZulu-Natal.
Mduduzi Shembe leads the Shembe Church, and in recent months, various political leaders have sought the church's endorsement by meeting with him.
During his visit, Ramaphosa assured the congregation that the government would provide housing for its members.
The MK party, led by former president Jacob Zuma, aims to capitalize on Zuma's popularity, especially in his home province of KZN. Despite claiming to consist of former members of Umkhonto weSizwe, many ex-ANC soldiers have distanced themselves from the MK party.
Although Zuma maintains his ANC membership, ANC leaders, under pressure to expel him, argue that endorsing a rival party constitutes self-expulsion from the ANC.
The ANC's national executive committee (NEC), concluding its three-day meeting in Johannesburg on Sunday, was expected to make an official statement regarding Zuma. He recently told his MK supporters, "I will die in the ANC."
ANC KZN provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo has cautioned ANC members aligning with the MK party that they risk suspension from the ANC.
This visit to Ebuhleni is seen as an attempt by the ANC to secure support ahead of the upcoming elections, as the party faces strong competition from its splinter group, the Umkhonto weSizwe party (MK), which threatens to challenge the ruling party's majority in KwaZulu-Natal.
Mduduzi Shembe leads the Shembe Church, and in recent months, various political leaders have sought the church's endorsement by meeting with him.
During his visit, Ramaphosa assured the congregation that the government would provide housing for its members.
The MK party, led by former president Jacob Zuma, aims to capitalize on Zuma's popularity, especially in his home province of KZN. Despite claiming to consist of former members of Umkhonto weSizwe, many ex-ANC soldiers have distanced themselves from the MK party.
Although Zuma maintains his ANC membership, ANC leaders, under pressure to expel him, argue that endorsing a rival party constitutes self-expulsion from the ANC.
The ANC's national executive committee (NEC), concluding its three-day meeting in Johannesburg on Sunday, was expected to make an official statement regarding Zuma. He recently told his MK supporters, "I will die in the ANC."
ANC KZN provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo has cautioned ANC members aligning with the MK party that they risk suspension from the ANC.
