This week might just show who has the stronger hotline to God between two strong factions in the ANC.
Squaring up against each other are ANC Youth League president Julius Malema and treasurer Pule Mabe on one hand, and the ANC’s disciplinary committee – which enjoys President Jacob Zuma’s support – on the other.
Malema and Mabe asked yesterday for divine intervention, imploring the Holy Spirit to fight on their side.
On Sunday, four pastors and a church full of congregants prayed for them at the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Pimville, Soweto.
With their hands on the bowed heads of the pair and their prayers accompanied by the congregants, who had raised their hands towards the direction of the two, the pastors asked God to send His spirit to fight for Malema and Mabe.
With his sermon punctuated by the sounds of “Amen!” and “Yes!”, Reverend Tsele Setai said: “God is the only one who can deliver us from the enemy surrounding us.”
In a prayerful voice, Setai told God that standing before Him was a people’s leader. He said the leader and two others were from Babylon, and were being called radicals by the Babylonian government.
“We know that you are there with us in a fiery furnace; God, you will be able to deliver us. Your son Malema is here. He says Lord, it’s not my brother. It’s not my father. It’s not my wife. It’s me standing in need of prayer.
“Send your spirit on him, Lord, to fight for him so that when he meets those that need to meet him, they can only see your face.
“Daniel came out of the den and we invite you to also think of Mabe,” Setai said.
Mabe is a congregant at the church and said the invitation to become part of the youth service on Sunday had been extended to Malema as well.
Earlier in his sermon, Setai said those who hated and plotted against others should know that “it was God who made that person in His image, and not you. Whether that person has been elected in a position, it is not you who put him there.
“When people point fingers at you, call you names, He is there for you,” Setai said to more shouts of “Amen” and “Yes, sir!”
Malema told the congregants that the church had a responsibility to pray for leaders and the government, and that the Holy Spirit must at all times guide them and teach them wrong and right.
“You can pretend to be untouchable and powerful, but when you are sleeping, the spirit will come to you and say ‘you are a sellout. Do what people expected you to do’.”
The ANCYL was the enemy of those in power because the league demanded that people be equal and share in the country’s economic wealth, he said.
“There is no crime we committed. The only crime (we committed was committed) when we said ‘let’s share’. The youth league is hated and attacked at all angles,“ Malema added. - The Star