South Africa's Bishops encourage faithful to cast votes in elections

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Ahead of the upcoming 2024 general elections in South Africa, the region's Bishops are appealing to the faithful to cast their vote.

In a pastoral letter released in the lead-up to the national and provincial elections, the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) urges believers not to take for granted their having maintained the democratic right to go to the polls and choose their leaders.

The SACBC is composed of the Catholic Bishops of South Africa, Botswana, and Eswatini.

In their collective text signed by SACBC President Bishop Sithembele Sipuka, the Bishops acknowledge the difficult periods during apartheid, and in particular, the transition from apartheid to a constitutional democracy.

They recognize that, through this experience, they have come to discover that "we as a people, have the God-given right to rise from the ashes, overcome insurmountable crises and find new paths."

Appeal to vote, consult SACBC resources

The SACBC also expresses gratitude for the great efforts of the independent electoral commission and numerous others who have made great strides to prevent and minimize pre-, and post-electoral violence.

"We strongly appeal to all eligible voters," they write, "to go out and vote and send a message to incoming parliamentarians. Nobody should remain at home."

The SACBC likewise calls upon all parish priests and pastoral councils to ensure that parishioners are informed about materials and aids which were jointly prepared by the Conference's Justice and Peace Commission with the Jesuit Institute of South Africa and can be consulted online, to help them make responsible decisions when voting.

Election prayer to be recited on Sundays

Likewise, the Bishops request that all parishes and communities, every Sunday, and at "every opportunity," recite a 2024 election prayer they have issued for the occasion.

In the text, they encourage believers to vote according to their experience and conscience, and stress that lay faithful have an indispensable role in building a better world, where there is justice, peace, and non-violence.

They say the power of prayer must not be overlooked.  "Holding free, fair, and peaceful elections," they insist, "requires prayer."

The Southern African Bishops go on to thank God for the right to determine the outcome of the elections, as they "commend" their "beloved country" to Christ and the Blessed Mother, and pray, "May the Holy Spirit continue to heal what is broken in our hearts, families, and nations, as we respond to God's call to build a more just and humane, a more united and peaceful South Africa."