Ad Laos - To the People of God – October 2026

The text of Archbishop Thabo's October Ad Laos, published in the Cape Town diocesan newsletter, Good Hope:

 Dear People of God

Coming from meetings of the Synod of Bishops, Provincial Synod and Christian Aid, and then helping to host the Archbishop of Canterbury at the 150th anniversary of the Mothers' Union in Durban, it was good to join the clergy of the Diocese at the recent Clergy Conference in Saldanha Bay. 

These conferences are annual events for clergy formation, arranged by the Dean of Studies and led by our Canons on Chapter. We met to recoup, reflect and learn together. I was only able to join for day one and part of day two, but I felt a great bond, and a great eagerness on the part of clergy to learn from one another.

Since it was my last Clergy Conference, I shared on the topic of “Faith and Courage”, highlighting various aspects of my ministry where faith, nurtured on my knees, demanded that I show the courage to stand up, speak out or act against injustice. I shared too how it works the other way round, in that resolving to act with courage sometimes nurtured my faith, that, having acted, I was thrust back to prayer and finding God in scripture. You will find my address on my blog, together with addresses I gave at other events I mention in this letter, at: https://archbishop.anglicanchurchsa.org/

In a few days' time, our local government elections take place – elections which will decide who gets proper taps, decent toilets and good roads. The Church encourages everyone in our congregations to vote, but it doesn't tell you whom to vote for. 

As I told Clergy Conference:

“The Church... tells you to vote with a conscience formed by the Gospel. And it asks you to put three questions to every candidate. How will you fix water and sanitation in our poorest wards? How will you keep every resident safe, citizen and foreign national alike? And how, and when, will you report back to us?”
         
The purpose of democracy is for the interests of everyone in society to have a say in how they are governed, in how their tax money is spend, and in what public services they need. Unless an election result reflects the actual views and preferences of voters, there is no purpose in an election. So I urge you all to support the important work of election observers who work to ensure that happens. I chair the Electoral Code of Conduct Observer Commission, a body made up of religious and civil society leaders, which works to achieve a climate of tolerance, free political campaigning and open public debate. 

It is easy to become disillusioned with elections when we see the many setbacks our country has had, the poor service delivery and the corruption. I know the road seems long, but let us protect our hard-earned democracy and go out and vote. You only need to look at a place like Zambia, whose democracy and Christian character is now being tested, to see what can happen when we are not vigilant. There, opposition leaders including Bishop Trevor Mwamba, a retired Anglican bishop, have been locked up, leading us to join those calling for their democratic rights to be respected and for them to be charged or released.

Let me end by again congratulating Ma Leah Tutu, who turned 93 on October 14. John Allen in my office shares the same birthday, so please join me in also saying a happy birthday to John and many thanks for your support over these years.

I commend the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation on their moving peace lecture by Nobel Peace laureate Jody Williams, delivered to mark Archbishop Emeritus Desmond's 95th birthday.  We also applaud Judge Navi Pillay for winning this year's Nobel Peace Prize – we are grateful to God for her and her work of peace-making, for which we should also be ambassadors.  

God bless.

†† Thabo Cape Town