Attracting the Pentecostal-Charismatic Vote During the 2024 South African National Election Campaign

In a previous article, Mzondi argued that three Evangelical-Pentecostal leaders—Frank Chikane, Kenneth Meshoe, and Mmusi Maimane—displayed Langalibalele Dube’s leadership attributes and a non-dichotomous Ubuntu view of faith and politics. These are juxtaposed with the leadership attributes of Jacob Zuma, an honorary religious leader of a section of African Pentecostal churches in South Africa.  Following the faith and politics interplay, the article focuses on the 2024 South African national election campaign of the four to determine the influence of a non-dichotomous Ubuntu view of faith and politics and Langalibalele Dube’s leadership attributes. Hence the following three objectives. First, to examines how Pentecostal-Charismatic churches and formations align themselves with the African National Congress, the Africa Christian Democratic Party, Build One South Africa, and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party during pre-election 2024 national elections drive. Second, to determine if there is a change in the political perception of Pentecostals and Charismatics. Third, to establish if Pentecostals and Charismatics continue to support Jacob Zuma despite his unethical conduct as, previously argued.

This quantitative study is an interplay of the Ubuntu worldview and Pentecostal studies. The two are used as a research framework to achieve the above three objectives. The findings demonstrates that African Pentecostals-Charismatic leaders and members associate with different political parties, have shifted to embrace the non-dichotomous Ubuntu worldview, and are not blind political followers but appear to exercise caution, thus rejecting the argument that all Pentecostals and Charismatics support Jacob Zuma.