A 3-part series by political analyst and leadership consultant Craig Bailie
See Part 2
For a political party that wins a general election in South Africa to form a government on its own in the National Assembly, the number of votes it receives during the election must allow it to occupy more than half of the National Assembly’s 400 seats (read here for an explanation of how votes are translated into National Assembly seats).
For the first time in South Africa’s post-1994 history, the African National Congress (ANC) failed to meet this criterion, leaving the party with no choice but to establish a coalition government that ultimately took the form of a Government of National Unity (GNU). Readers can follow this link for an explanation of the context surrounding the formation of South Africa’s current coalition government, specifically in the form of a GNU.
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Good governance depends on more than prayer
At the start of the recent protests in Nairobi, Kenya, one protestor was photographed holding a placard that read, “Kenya is…proof that prayers cannot fix bad governance.” This statement captures some of the scriptural truth about the relationship between Church and State, or between Christians and civil government, but not all of it.
The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy: “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” — 1 Timothy 2:1-2, ESV. In the New International Version, these verses appear under the heading, “Instructions on Worship”.
Christians are instructed to pray as part of our worship to the Lord. We are instructed to pray for all in authority. This includes the government as an institution and its respective officials. Note from the two verses in Timothy, how prayer for those in authority is a precondition for living peaceful and quiet lives.
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Is it possible for a majority of citizens in any society to live peaceful and quiet lives outside good governance? Since 1 Timothy 2:1-2 suggests prayer is a precondition for good governance, I would venture to say that prayer is also essential to fixing bad governance.
For the state of the nation to improve and for the GNU to show itself effective in governing, will require more than just prayer, however.
From James 2:14-26 (ESV), we learn that faith without works is dead. Prayer, which amounts to an act (or work) of faith, is fundamental to the Christian life, and community or societal transformation. Yet, to the degree that Christians fail to engage in works beyond praying for good governance, the potential for experiencing good governance becomes that much less. I have heard someone say: “Pray as though it depends on God, and work as though it depends on you.”
Prayer alone stops short of what’s required to establish good governance or transform governance from ‘bad’ to ‘good’.
Consider the film that Africa Enterprise released in 2022 – The Threatened Miracle of South Africa’s Democracy. It documents the role that faith-filled Christians played in helping SA transition from apartheid to an aspiring democracy.
In his commentary on Nehemiah, entitled, Nehemiah Prays First!, leadership expert John Maxwell writes: “When Nehemiah heard that the walls of Jerusalem lay in ruins, that its charred gates sat rotting, and that the Jewish survivors live in distress and reproach, he did what every great [Christian] leader must do: He fasted and prayed.”
Note, Nehemiah prayed, but after praying he approached King Artaxerxes to ask the king’s permission to travel to Jerusalem and rebuild its walls (Nehemiah 2:1-10, ESV). Nehemiah’s plea before King Artaxerxes was the beginning of the work without which Nehemiah’s faith, in this instance, would have been dead. More specifically, when Nehemiah approached King Artaxerxes, he was engaging in a political work founded on faith (see the definition of politics I have given further down).
Politics and governance are inseparable from power
The GNU was birthed in a power struggle. Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader, Gayton McKenzie was spot-on when he said, the reason for the delay in the announcement of a new Cabinet was that parties were in “‘a fight about positions’”. McKenzie asked about himself: “’Do you think I am there seeking autographs? I’m there for power. Policy comes second.’”
South Africans, including Christians, shouldn’t be surprised or offended by statements like these. The GNU is a political arrangement. This reality is what also makes the GNU a power arrangement.
Politics is the competition for and/or exercise of power necessary for managing resources and creating order, without which human beings cannot survive or thrive. Therefore, politics and power are inseparable.
South Africa’s new Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, whatever his faults may be, understands that the ability to draft and implement policy – something that democratic politicians with a desire for human-centric governance will do with human freedoms and the interests of all South Africans in mind – depends first on having the power to do so.
Because of humankind’s inherent fallibility, the competition for and use of power can be and often is a messy business. Consider author Ross du Preez’s recent article on the misuse and abuse of power in the Church.
Politics often is a messy business, not because it involves competition for and exercise of power, but more directly because of the motives underlying and the methods characterising the competition for and exercise of power. This is why the negotiations preceding the formation of South Africa’s new coalition government were intense, and why some viewed the negotiations and their possible outcomes through a racialised lens.
The full version of this article is available here.
About the author
Craig Bailie holds a Master’s degree in International Studies from Rhodes University and certificates in Thought Leadership for Africa’s Renewal and Transformative Governance from the Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute (TMALI) and the University of the Free State (UFS), respectively. He is the founding director of Bailie Leadership Consultancy. He writes in his personal capacity and reserves the right to improve his views whenever possible.
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