In the lead-up to the country’s 7th democratic general election, the South African Council of Churches (SACC) has announced that a national day of prayer will be held.

The call was made at the council’s first quarterly gathering of the year when its national executive committee unanimously agreed on the need for dedicated prayer.

The SACC says the prayer will be held on 5 May, with the aim of praying for a peaceful election process.

“In the face of the many challenges of our country, we yearn for a renewal of our minds in God that we might evolve into a transformed society; charged with the mission to reconcile the world we live in, with God’s world through His word said President of the SACC, Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town.

The council said it is also aware of incidents of sporadic violence that could arise, adding that this is further reason for the public to unite in prayer for peaceful elections.

“Our people still bear the painful scars of the violent eruptions of our country’s history and we cannot adopt a posture of blindness to the signs of our times. Therefore, our call for a National Day of Prayer for the 2024 General Elections is a reminder of the church’s core mission, which is to advocate for hope in the face of hopelessness,” added Archbishop Makgoba.

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