Churchgoers, religious leaders and Nkandla residents came out in their numbers to a welcome home prayer for former president Jacob Zuma.

The prayer was held at a local sports ground about two minutes away from Zuma’s private home in KwaNxamalala, Nkandla.

Pastor Muntukathenjwa Majola of the Press Holiness Church of Zion, a locally-based church, told News24 that he and some of his congregants were there to welcome Zuma back home.

“He played a huge role for us as the locals of this area. We have electricity and running water in our homes because of him,” said Majola.

READ: Church leaders to hold welcoming home prayers for Zuma

Another resident, Bongekile Mchunu of the local Evangelist Lutheran Church, said she attended Zuma’s welcome home prayer because of the role he played in developing the area.

“During his tenure as president, he has provided electricity for our homes and also built RDP homes in the area. He also gave our children school uniforms,” she said.

‘People love him’

Mchunu added that they saw development “with our own eyes” when Zuma was still the president of the country.

“If it was up to us, he would still be the president of the country,” she said.

The prayer is organised by the National Interfaith Council of South Africa (Nicsa) in partnership with the Commission for Religious Affairs (CRA).

Nicsa’s Bishop Timothy Ngcobo downplayed rumours that Zuma was there to launch a new political party.

“We are here to pray for him,” he said.

Addressing the people who gathered at the tent, Ngcobo suggested that the ANC still needed Zuma.

He added that, if the ANC wanted to win a two-thirds majority in the 2019 election, it needed to consult with Zuma “because people love him”.

“This is a religious revolution that we are bringing to the party that you were leading. We’re saying the path to the two-thirds majority starts with Msholozi,” he said.

Some residents at the prayer were dressed in ANC colours and T-shirts.

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