JOHANNESBURG— As millions of South Africans visited the polls on Monday, Nov. 1, the South African Council of Churches prayed that the local municipal elections would not trigger more spread of COVID-19.

"Local government elections are very important, as they elect people who will be responsible for the real-life issues of communities; and these are communities in which our members live and worship,” SACC's general secretary, Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana, told ReligionUnplugged.com. “That is why we call for prayers and the spirit of discernment in the voting processes. We also pray for grace of mitigation, that the elections do not become a COVID superspreader as it seemed to have happened in India.”

President Cyril Ramaphosa urged voters to adhere to the COVID-19 health regulations as they exercised their right to vote.

The poll is effectively a referendum on the ruling African National Congress party, which has been in power for 27 years in Africa’s most industrialized country but faces scrutiny over poor government services. The legacy party of Nelson Mandela also faces outrage over corruption under the previous president, Jacob Zuma, who deterred foreign investment. Its main rival is the Democratic Alliance, which suffers from its reputation as a party of White privilege in a country that’s 90% non-White.

Early results Tuesday reported that the ANC won at least 46% of the vote, with 90% of the results expected by Tuesday evening.

South Africa has been one of the world’s hardest hit countries during the pandemic in terms of coronavirus infections and death rate. As of Nov. 1, the country had recorded 2.92 million positive cases of COVID-19, 89,179 deaths and 2.81 million recoveries, according to its national Department of Health. After the country endured a third wave of infections in July, vaccination hesitancy has continued to hamper efforts to achieve immunity. As of Nov. 2, South Africa had vaccinated 37% of its 60 million people, according to the latest Johns Hopkins University data.

South Africa launched a new vaccination campaign Friday to vaccinate 500,000 people, urging anyone over 18 to show up to a hospital or clinic to receive the shot. The SACC, part of an interfaith religious forum against COVID-19, has called for churches to aim to vaccinate at least 70% of their members.  

“This is our contribution towards the desired population-wide immunity,” Mpumlwana said.

The SACC represents about half of the country’s 43 million Christians through 30 major churches — including Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Methodists, the Evangelical Alliance of Pentecostals, Assemblies of God — and other organizations, including the Salvation Army.

Ramaphosa called on all registered voters to use the public holiday "to exercise their democratic right and civic duty by voting in this election that empowers citizens to elect new leadership and influence service delivery where they live."

Vicky Abraham is an investigative journalist based in South Africa and has reported for the Mail & Guardian, City Press, Assist News, the Nation newspaper in Nigeria and Nation Media Group in Kenya.