–– Evan Cantrell
The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
On 13 October 2025, the Democratic Alliance, also known as the DA, participated in the “Joburg Pride” march, celebrating what the DA’s Rainbow Alliance called “the beauty, resilience, and strength of Africa’s LGBTQIA+ community”.
The largest party in South Africa is the ANC, whose policies and actions have brought South Africa to its knees. The party most known for resisting the ANC in ways that have achieved practical results for the good of South Africa is the DA. The DA stands for the free market and against the ANC’s hyper-racial and socialist policies.
However, the DA does not oppose abortion, allowing the murder of innocents to continue unabated. It proudly supports homosexual relationships in every form, contributing to the breakdown of the families which form the bedrock of society. Scripture clearly describes these positions (also endorsed by the ANC) as bringing God’s judgment on a nation. The DA government in Cape Town also distinguished itself in the Covid-19 era by stringently enforcing “lockdown” measures.
Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest city, is crumbling under ANC governance. The 2026 local government election looms as a fork in the road. The DA has nominated Helen Zille as its candidate for mayor, and a DA takeover is seen by many as the only chance for change. For the most part, other parties either represent even more radical evil than the ANC or are so small that they have no hope of attaining governing authority.
In these circumstances, Christians are left to ask, “How does God want me to use my vote?” This article will address three questions: 1. Does God want me to vote? 2. What am I doing when I vote? 3. What should I consider when I vote?
Firstly, does God want me to vote? The short answer is yes. The second great commandment is to love your neighbour as yourself (Mark 12:31). Part of how we love our neighbour is by seeking the welfare of the city in which we live (Jeremiah 29:7). James shows us the emptiness of speaking words of love but failing to put those words into action (James 2:16). Therefore, when we have the opportunity to vote, we ought to steward that vote by seeking to wisely advance the good of our neighbour.
Secondly, what am I doing when I vote? Your secret vote is not like baptism into the church. It is not a public covenant binding you to the party that you vote for. In a representative democracy, your vote indicates that you have chosen a particular party to speak for you and to implement the policies which make up its platform. However, this does not mean that you may not vote for a party unless you fully endorse everything that party stands for. Because Jesus is not on the ballot, every vote will always be a vote for a less-than-perfect candidate.
Whilst compromise is theological poison, it is the lifeblood of politics, where it is the only way to accomplish any good. Ultimately, your vote is a tool. Understanding that voting is part of how we love our neighbour, and that love must be manifested in action, a vote which is not wisely calculated to resist evil, or to advance the good of your neighbour in some real way, is a failure to love our neighbour.
Thirdly, what must I consider when I vote? If, as this article maintains, your vote is a tool for advancing the welfare of your city, then in casting your vote, you must consider how that vote will resist evil and promote your neighbour’s good. In assessing this, you must consider:
- First, what issues are at stake in this election? In South Africa, the different levels of government have different powers and responsibilities. The legislature and the presidency at the national level have the primary authority over key issues like abortion and homosexual marriage, whilst local government and the municipal council are concerned primarily with service delivery and town planning. If you are to wisely cast your vote, you must do your best to familiarise yourself with the functions and issues that are at stake in each election.
- Second, what are the platforms of the parties in this election? Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people (Proverbs 14:34). When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan (Proverbs 29:2). You need to understand what positions each party stands for, with reference to the issues which are actually at stake in the election, and how they relate to biblical principles of government. It is also important to evaluate which policies are likely to be carried out and which are nothing more than political lip service.
- Finally, what is the impact of voting for a particular party? Will my chosen party win this election? If they win, what are likely to be their strategic priorities, and where will they have the biggest impact during the course of this administration? If they do not win, will my vote be wasted, or will it assist this party to resist evil or have a voice in the development and implementation of policy? By refusing to vote for one party because I disagree with a portion of their platform, am I making it more likely that another, more evil party will ultimately attain power?
By considering these questions, we can seek to love our neighbours and to vote in a way that advances the welfare of our society.
I really appreciate this article from Evan. I wish he pushed a little bit more, but the homework is for us to do. The temptation for Christians is to vote for a more comfortable life at the expense of evil advancing. Our rubbish removal is a high priority, while the killing of babies is not even considered. Thank you Evan for this brother!
May we do our homework and vote well in light of loving our neighbors, but remembering that it is believing the gospel that will have eternal impact and value.
Evan, thank you for taking the time to write on this. Much to agree with, a good framework to work with, and good questions to ask.
In my view, the clear and short answer is ‘no’, a Christian may not vote for the DA when they refuse to denounce such clear biblical principles like sodomy and child sacrifice. A final question you could have asked was: “Does my vote support a party that violates clear and significant immorality that will shake the very foundations of a society?”
Keep writing.
Thanks Paul. It’s certainly something I’ve been wrestling with.
I would respectfully disagree that it can be reduced to a simple ‘no, a Christian may not vote for the DA’.
I appreciate the argument that it would be wisest not to vote for the DA, even at the local level, because the immorality supported by the DA would ultimately prove a more insidious danger to our children and our neighbours, should the DA prove ascendant in the long run.
I also appreciate the argument that voting for a particular candidate who happens to be associated with the DA will lead to a government that most reflects biblical principles for governance.
This is particularly so at the local level, where representatives have very little power or influence over issues such as abortion or homosexuality.
I think that believers ought to carefully and prayerfully consider these principles and reach their own conclusions (as I can see that you have done).
I’m fairly sure that the gist of Evan’s argumentation is that the clear and short answer is ‘yes’ – you can vote for the DA in local, municipal elections.
I think that there also certain parallels to the United States. Donald Trump does not have a clear moral position on abortion or homosexuality, nor does the modern Republican party. However, he has surrounded himself with many people who do, and his actions have in many ways advanced biblical governance. His opponents also represent a clear moral evil at virtually every level of their platform. Therefore, Christians are free to support him, despite his personal failure to take a clear stand on either of those admittedly crucial issue (and his other past moral failures).
It’s also worth noting that Helen Zille, the DA’s candidate for Joburg, is not pro-LGBTQ, nor has she expressed public support for abortion. Instead, she encourages women to delay getting pregnant and has affirmed the need for families with a father in the home.
LGBTIQ+ Groups Respond to Helen Zille’s Anti-Trans Court Ruling Stance – MambaOnline – LGBTQ South Africa online
LISTEN | ‘Don’t get pregnant as soon as you can’: Zille on fatherless families