Cape Town - The ANC’s Cape Town mayoral candidate, Xolani Sotashe, went to seek divine intervention in church ahead of his campaign for the upcoming local government elections.
The ANC announced its mayoral candidates at the weekend, with six weeks to go to the polls on August 3. In the announcement, the party named new candidates in all major metros, with the exception of Joburg and the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality, where Parks Tau and Danny Jordaan retained the positions,respectively.
On Sunday, Sotashe celebrated the announcement and Father’s Day, with his family, as they attended church at the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Strand to receive blessings and prayers before his campaign with the hopes of being elected mayor of Cape Town.
The service went on as usual with the congregation taking part in Holy Communion before priest Bongani Gobode called Sotashe to the front to pray for him.
Sotashe hopes to replace Patricia de Lille as Cape Town mayor and said he would work 24/7 to achieve the goal.
“Before we go campaigning we wanted to come to church, not only to get prayer and strength but also to say thanks.
“When we started, here in Strand, there were just halls here and now that has all changed. We want to make sure people live comfortably.”
Sotashe, who served as ward councillor in Lwandle until 2011 before moving to the city to be the ANC’s chief whip, said there was not much time left, but they would make the time worth it. Sotashe is also the party’s chairman in the Dullah Omar region.
“There will be times were I will not be available, the ANC is my second wife. So I ask that you pray for my wife so she will have patience.”
He added the party still had to elect a candidate for a ward councillor for Lwandle, and urged the congregation to support whoever was chosen and to vote for them.
“De Lille will be on one side and I will be on the other. We will meet at debates and on the street. She will be fighting for the DA and I will be fighting for the ANC. We want to take the power back to the ANC.
“The ANC played a big role for this church to be here today, and on August 3 we are going there (the polls) to do nothing but win.”
ANC spokesman Jabu Mfusi said that the party was built by and believed in by people of the church.
“We are here to ask God to be with us as the ANC. We are also here to thank the church and his (Sotashe’s) family for allowing him to do this and all we ask is for your prayers.”
He said Sotashe’s first wish after hearing the announcement was to go to his church.
“When we spoke to him we asked him what he wants to do first and he wanted to come here, to church to get some strength. So that when elections come he will know that God is behind him.”
Gobode said he was grateful that Sotashe came to his church first before going out and being prayed for by other priests as he went to campaign for his party.
He said he wanted Sotashe to be strong through the ups and downs of politicking: “Strand is the way it is because of Xolani”.
“With him as mayor the Western Cape could go places. We have done our part and hope that Jesus will be with you at all times.”
Cape Argus