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Politicians took to the pews and chairs of churches across the country on Easter Sunday in a last push for prayer ahead of the May 8 national and provincial election. 

Deputy President David Mabuza visited the massive gathering at the St Engenas Zion Christian Church in Zion City in Moria, Limpopo where coachloads of followers spend the weekend in prayer and worship.

In a statement afterwards he expressed his thanks to Bishop Barnabas Lekganyane, saying: “Please pray for us to lead our people with honesty, integrity and a sense of selflessness towards attaining this noble dream – of a better life for all. 

“Please pray for the unity of our country. The aspiration of our people on whose back we stand should always be central to everything we do irrespective of our political affiliation.”

A picture of EFF leader Julius Malema, who was on home ground, was snapped alongside Mabuza, all broad smiles, as featured on the Presidency’s Twitter feed. 

DA leader Mmusi Maimane, known to have delivered sermons before going into full time politics, visited the Grace Bible Church in Johannesburg and then hung out in Soweto afterwards. 

The ANC spread itself out, with Tony Yengeni worshiping in Langa, Cape Town; the ANC deputy provincial chair in the Eastern Cape; Bentley Vass and the regional chair, Abraham Vosloo, attending a service at the Roman Catholic church in Keimoes and treasurer general Paul Mashatile visiting the Mnceba Methodist Church in Mount Frere.

Elections co-ordinator for the ANC Fikile Mbalula popped in to the Tyrannus Apostolic Church in De Deur, Midvaal, where he said he was “humbled” by the “rousing welcome” from the congregation in their matching church uniforms.

He stood to acknowledge the applause, with a refreshment table in front of him. 

Meanwhile, make no mistake, the role of  overseas voters is going to be more crucial now than at any point in our 25 years of democracy. 

The 2019 Elections are set to be the tightest of the bunch and a few thousand votes either way could decide the balance of power in several key battlegrounds across South Africa for the ANC, DA and EFF.

The IEC has confirmed that 30 532 voters applied for the right to participate in the 2019 Elections from 121 South African consulates across the world this year. A total of 29 334 were approved, which is a record-high number. More and more expats will be able to have their say, but just how important is that international influence?

News24 been looking at how our three main political parties are represented across the globe. There are some very interesting dynamics at play, and although not all of these branches are eligible to vote in the elections, they are certainly doing a bang-up job of spreading their messages.

ANC vs DA vs EFF – where does their overseas support come from?

African National Congress (ANC)

As the ruling party, the strongest sign of an ANC presence abroad comes from their foreign missions. There are a total of 75 cities across the world which have the South African government’s representation and are contactable online.

But, comparatively speaking, their network abroad isn’t particularly forthcoming. They have a particularly strong presence in the UK, with a branch operating in London and a number of expats retaining their support, but the ANC could take a leaf out of their rivals’ books.

Democratic Alliance (DA)

The official opposition boasts a total of 35 networks abroad which represent the DA in terms of both their expat support and that from foreign nationals. They have an official branch in every continent, apart from South America and the frozen tundra of Antarctica.

They have the strongest presence of all three in Europe, and also dominate the North American market. When looking at the official figures for registered overseas voters this year, that could work in their favour.

Region Total overseas voters

Africa 2 868

Asia 7 147

Europe 14 838

North America 2 196

Oceania 2 133

South America 125

Total 29 334

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)

Now, in something of a departure from what we’ve already seen, the EFF’s support doesn’t necessarily translate to people voting for them from abroad. Instead, they’ve been buoyed by the creation of other “Economic Freedom Fighter” parties in several African countries.

Botswana, Liberia and Namibia all have an active EFF presence, but also host groups with political ambitions inside their own borders. The most established of these wings lies in Namibia.

They are the most senior foreign chapter of the EFF and have arguably endured the most tumultuous time. Their archaic opposition to homosexuality is a massive diversion from what the red berets endorse in SA, and divisions between party members lead to some high-profile resignations from our Western neighbours.

They have previously contested elections in the country but didn’t fare too well. They reeled in just 1 131 votes during the national polls, which amounted to a 0.1% share of the electorate.

In their own way, each party has got its own, unique identity overseas: The ANC dominate legislative and executive organisations, the DA have the most extensive networks of support and expat voters and the EFF have several political movements moulded in their image. 

– News24