Mmusi Maimane

Image via Twitter: Mmusi Maimane
@MmusiMaimane

Mmusi Maimane: Politician, not pastor, still his ‘higher calling’

Former DA leader Mmusi Maimane was seen officiating a wedding, resulting in the rumour mill going into overdrive.

Mmusi Maimane

Image via Twitter: Mmusi Maimane
@MmusiMaimane

Although it looks like Maimane has swapped his political hat for that of a pastor’s robe in several images shared to social media, he has put paid to rumours suggesting that he has a new career path.

The images show Maimane presiding over the vows of his former chief of staff Graham Charter and his bride. The pictures went viral, causing a stir on Twitter as people debated over whether Maimane had officially taken up being a pastor on a full-time basis.

Maimane was ordained as a pastor before becoming a politician and has a master’s degree in theology from Bangor University, in Wales. 

It turns out he hasn’t as he told The Citizen that he was invited to negotiate the lobola on behalf of his former colleague. 

“It shows that despite what some may say, South Africans are having meaningful relationships across racial and cultural divides.

“I believe in that and I believe in them,” he said.

Trending on Twitter

Maimane has been trending on Twitter for hours. The reaction to the images have been varied, with many supporting his decision to officiate weddings again.  

The People’s Dialogue with Herman Mashaba

Maimane resigned from his position as DA leader in November after Helen Zille was appointed federal council chairperson of the party. 

Shortly thereafter he announced that he and former Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba would form their own “political vehicle”, called The People’s Dialogue, which would deal with social justice and focus on forming solutions to the country’s pertinent challenges such as poverty and unemployment. 

Platform for the people

In an interview with eNCA he said a new platform was needed to champion citizens and ensure that their voices were had. 

“A new political party may simply be saying let’s add another colour to the many colours of political parties that exist. We need a new coalition, a new vehicle. When we understand what a new vehicle looks like, it ought to get back to citizens.”

“What I know is that the system we have now doesn’t work. So at the right time, we will be able to communicate what that will look like and how we will engage more with society,” he said. 

Though Maimane and Mashaba are yet to host an official launch for The People’s Dialogue, both are still active on social media, engaging with their followers and recently calling on the public to share what they love about the country.