Catholic Bishops to political parties: “Work together for the good of the country”
By Sheila Pires, SACBC – The members of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) say political parties in South Africa should “work together for the good of the country.”
In their ‘National Elections Results’ joint statement signed by the SACBC President, the Catholic bishops congratulate the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) “for yet again demonstrating professionalism and efficiency in facilitating elections” in the country.
“We also thank the political parties for their vigilance in noting some concerns during the voting process and the IEC’s willingness to address these objections as provided by the Act governing the IEC,” reads the Monday, June 3 SACBC statement signed by Bishop Sithembele Anton Sipuka.
As the ruling African National Congress (ANC) received only 40.18 percent votes in the Wednesday, May 29 election it will need to make a deal with other parties to form a coalition government for the first time in 30 years.
In the June 3 statement, the Catholic Bishops in South Africa, Botswana and Eswatini call on “all parties to avoid utterances and behaviour that could lead to acts of violence, destruction, and loss of life.”
“This includes making threats, inciting violence, or spreading false information that could escalate tensions,” they add.
As political parties engage in coalition talks, the bishops say coalitions present a “unique opportunity for those elected to work together for the good of the country, putting all ideologies aside.”
“More importantly, politicians must focus on what needs to be done to serve the people who elected them and choose people for positions and roles according to their capacity and passion to carry out those tasks,” they add.
In a televised address to the nation, President Cyril Ramaphosa called upon political to work together for the good of the country, “What this election has made plain” he said, “is that the people of South Africa expect their leaders to work together to meet their needs. They expect the parties for which they have voted to find common ground, to overcome their differences, to act and work together for the good of everyone.”
“Our people expect all parties to work together within the framework of our constitution and address whatever challenges we encounter peacefully and in accordance with the prescripts of our constitution and the rule of law. Each party emerges from this election with a mandate based on the commitments they each made to the electorate,” said President Ramaphosa during the Sunday, June 2 address.
In their concluding remarks, the bishops call on provincial leaders to focus “on fostering an environment for improved public service,” and for both the “political parties and the public (to) respond to these results with peace and respect for the democratic process.”
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