The Justice and Peace Commission (JPC) of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) in collaboration with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has embarked on a series of “voter education” workshops ahead of what has been dubbed South Africa’s historical elections after 30 years of democracy.

After publishing the Voter Education Manual in December 2023, the JPC is hosting voter education workshops to “provide general information and guidance on the electoral process in South Africa.”

During the voter education workshop held at Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church in Pretoria North, the JPC delegation highlighted the Catholic Social Teaching concerning democracy and voting rights.

“We have been working with IEC on voter education workshops in various dioceses and provinces.   So far, the workshops have covered Pretoria and Upington, in the meantime we are finalizing the program for other dioceses,” says the director of JPC Fr. Stan Muyebe OP in a communiqué shared with the SACBC communication office.

In their February 8 Pastoral Letter for the 2024 National and Provincial Elections, the SACBC members call on fellow Catholics and all South Africans “to keep working for a better future in (South Africa),” and to “not give way to paralysing disillusionment and despair.”

The SACBC members “strongly appeal to all eligible voters to go out and vote.”

“Nobody should remain at home,” they affirm, and add, “For the good of the country, vote according to your experience and your conscience, not according to unquestioning loyalty to one or another political party. Consider what is important for the whole nation, not just what is good for you personally, your political party, and its alliance partners.”

In the communiqué shared with the SACBC communication office, Fr Muyebe OP goes on to say, “The bishops have emphasized that voting in an election is an ethical responsibility. Secondly, the bishops have called for ethics in elections.  The forthcoming elections are critical for rebuilding the common good as a country.  It is therefore important that people of faith vote according to conscience and not according to blind royalty to politicians and political parties.”

“We want the message of the bishops to reach as many people as possible. The target is adult youth and all people of goodwill,” he adds.

Apart from the IEC, the JPC has also partnered with the South African Jesuit Institute and the Moral Regeneration Movement (MRM).

“There are various partnerships, we have worked with the Jesuit Institute to produce a brochure on voter education and election ethics, another partner is moral regeneration movement,” says Fr Muyebe OP, and adds, “On 2nd April,  we shall have an election ethics summit for civil society organizations. Similar election ethics summits will be organized for traditional leaders.”

Fr Muyebe OP further says, “There is a partnership with the Southern African Council of Churches to ensure that polling stations in all the provinces have election monitors, this will also include the identification of potential hotspots for election violence.”

In addition to the Voter Education Manual, the JP Commission has also published election brochures in some of the official languages ahead of the May 29 general elections.