The National Interfaith Leaders Council has called on Christians to forgive President Jacob Zuma for having impregnated a woman out of wedlock. The council was formed with Zuma’s approval to serve as a conduit between the Presidency and the community and to fight the morality battles on his behalf.

The council is known to be very close to Zuma and among its leaders is the Rhema Church boss Pastor Ray McCauley, a very close ally of Zuma’s. McCauley allowed only Zuma to campaign in his church during the April 2009 elections and refused the opposition parties the same privilege.

David Mosoma, secretary-general of the National Interfaith Leaders Council says those who profess to be Christian or pious should forgive President Jacob Zuma for his affair with Sonono Khoza, daughter of soccer guru Irvin Khoza because he has apologised for it.

This after Zuma apologised at the weekend for impregnating the 39-year old woman, who is a bank executive in Johannesburg. It is believed that Zuma was under severe pressure from within the ANC and the public to apologise otherwise the party was contemplating action against him. However, any action was unlikely seeing that the current ANC leadership are all sycophantic followers of the President and should he go their jobs would be on the line both in the party and the government.

The interfaith body welcomed the President’s apology and urged Christians to do the same.

 “We accept the public outrage that you cannot undermine. But, it is important that we call on South Africans to look at bigger issues that confront the country. Our different faiths teach us that once the person does the confessing, as the President has, we must do the absolving. There is no limit to forgiveness. In terms of the Bible you have to forgive 70x70 and it is that basis from which we come,” says Mosoma.