Pentecostal Theology of Unity is built from the core principles, values and beliefs that underpin the concept of unity within Pentecostalism, including the role of the Holy Spirit, the importance of community and the pursuit of reconciliation, and is rooted in the biblical account of Pentecost (Acts 2), where the Spirit outpouring enabled diverse individuals from various nationalities understand and unit in worship. It is crucial to underscore the fact that PTU is understood to be grounded in both pneumatological and ecclesiological foundations. The key aspects of PTU are pneumatological imagination, ecumenical engagement (Richie 2020), lastly, synodality and charisms (Vondey 2014). These perspectives demonstrate PTU’s focus on Spirit-driven harmony in diversity, and cooperation (Resane 2024).

According to Kimotho (2019), from PTU, we can learn of empowerment from the holy Spirit, unity, and cooperation in diversity, close to what Servant Leadership entails. Furthermore, there is the aspect of Spiritual Gifts (1 Cor 12) giving emphasis to the promotion of unity fostered by mutual contribution (Resane 2024). More still, it promulgates collaborative decision making, and empowerment of leadership to enhance shared purposes (Richie 2020).

The critics of PTU argue that it is grossly idealistic, focusing primarily on spiritual unity without dealing with socio-cultural and economic entities (Nel 2014). Other critics further contend that ‘we are all one in Christ’ does not apply to all environments, as there are divergent power bases, thoughts and beliefs, such as in the South African context (Robeck 2014).

The 2024 election really shook things up in South African politics when the ANC’s support took a severe knock, falling to 40.18% from 57.5% in 2019 (Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa 2024). The ANC lost its majority for the first time since 1994, so it had to team up with other parties to govern, both nationally and in some provinces.

The election results in Table 1 show the election results for the various parties forming the GNU. The Democratic Alliance (DA) remains the main opposition, having secured 21.81% of the vote, while the new Umkhonto We Sizwe party (MKP), led by Jacob Zuma, garnered 14.58%, altering the usual voting pattern (Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa 2024). The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) emerged with 9.52%, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) with 4.04%, and the Patriotic Alliance (PA) with 2.04%. All these parties became important players in the coalition deals (Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa 2024). Consequently, South Africa’s political scene is now divided, with no single party having total control. Some scholars argue that what we have in South Africa is a Coalition Government rather than a GNU and they give their distinctions between a coalition government and a GNU (Vilakati & Bentley 2024).

Booysen (2024) articulates that the GNU was widely welcome by both the stakeholders and the wider populace for it was seen to be offering a fresh opportunity to rebuild a capable state, strengthen democratic accountability and improve responsiveness. The GNU ended the monopoly of the ANC, a development that many hoped will bring an improvement on performance, on issues such as social cohesion, economic growth and service delivery (Mseleku & Yende 2025). There is bound to be growth in political tolerance among both the leaders in the GNU and the various political parties do to constantly interacting and making decisions (Gumbo 2022).

There is a plethora of challenges facing the GNU. Masipa (2018) advances that economic disparities still mirror apartheid era inequalities in wealth distribution, education access and employment opportunities. More persistent issues in South Africa include unequal education, pay gaps, segregated communities and economic disparities (Agbor et al. 2024). High youth unemployment, exacerbated by skills mismatches and slow economic growth, coupled with the recent global tariff wars compounds the challenges (Kotze 2024). Despite a substantial increase in South Africa’s health budget, the public health system still faces inequalities, along with controversies surrounding the National Health Insurance (NHI) proposal, contributing to these challenges. Moreover, crime and gender-based violence remain serious setbacks (Ofusori 2024). However, Kotze (2024) believes that, amid these huddles, the 2024 GNU provides an opportunity for deeper engagement on critical priorities, including tackling service delivery logjams, advancing socio-economic development and creating a more equitable future. This study then advocates for harnessing the PTU in a way of informing and transforming the GNU.

In contemporary South Africa, the relationship between theology and politics remains intricate. Mkhize (2024) argues that Christian megachurches (such as the Christian Family Church International and Christian Revival Church), particularly those promoting prosperity theology, have continued to flourish, influencing political decisions and fuelling economic disparities. The ANC’s historical use of religious rhetoric, along with secular-inclusive party rules and laws has also been considered as complicating the cobweb (Urbaniak & Khorommbi 2020). Lephakga (2024) contends that the implications of the church and political intersection are far-reaching and critiques the commercialisation of religion and its impact on perpetuating socio-economic inequalities. To be able to mint strategies for creating a nexus between PTU and the GNU, the church must have a credible and acceptable voice and role within the South African law makers and populace (Mkhize 2024).

When the aforesaid obstacles have been removed, PTU can be used to craft strategies that will inform and help to improve the functioning of the GNU, such as promoting social cohesion, fostering economic justice and ethical governance, thus helping to build policies on good stewardship and amicable addressing of historical inequalities and grievances through parliamentary portfolios and committees (Vilakati & Bentley 2024). Political parties to the GNU would need to be harnessed to inculcate social harmony that transcends beyond the fabric of ethnicity, race and economic differences (Kotze 2024). Ethical leadership promotion within parties and government structures would enhance transparency, accountability and inclusive decision making (Masipa 2018). Pentecostal Theology of Unity helps to shape the GNU through its emphasis on promoting the common good, human dignity and equality (Mkhize 2024).

Forums that can be used to transfer these values and strategies include social gatherings, religious conferences and services, parliamentary addresses and committees, party functions and rallies, and professional and business forums (Vilakati & Bentley 2024). Masipa (2018) advocates for approaches that encompass public participation, equality, tolerance, accountability, transparency, and regular free and fair elections. Economic empowerment, prevention of power abuse, protection of human rights, a robust multiparty system and unwavering commitment to the rule of law are the other pillars Masipa raises.

This article followed all ethical standards for research without direct contact with human or animal subjects.

A study conducted by Pongweni (2025) and another by Zhou et al. (2025) revealed that the GNU has had challenges in fostering dialogue regarding a number of policy changes and bills, citing the Basic Education Laws Ammendment (BELA) Act as an example. Nurturing dialogue and collaboration in the 2024 GNU in South Africa through a nexus of PTU and SIT requires strategically designed initiatives that emphasise shared values and collective identity (Booysen 2024). This is where this study promulgates, interfaith and intercultural forums to be established to facilitate open dialogue among diverse religious and ethnic communities, drawing on PTU’s call for spiritual unity and reconciliation while applying SIT to reduce intergroup tensions by promoting a hypernym South African identity.

Furthermore, as articulated by Vilakati and Bentley (2024), collaborative policy workshops that include representatives from political parties, faith groups and civil society nurture a participatory environment where diverse perspectives coalesce around common goals, reflecting the Pentecostal emphasis on communal discernment and SIT’s insights into group dynamics. From another perspective, a study by Ragolane and Khoza (2024) reveals that community peacebuilding initiatives that engage local leaders and grassroots organisations operationalise theological principles of forgiveness and reconciliation. Such initiatives work best alongside social psychological strategies for identity integration, thereby strengthening social cohesion at the grassroots level.

Subsequently, these efforts must balance the affirmation of distinct group identities with the cultivation of inclusive narratives to avoid artificial unity. Such a move ensures that dialogue and collaboration contribute meaningfully to the GNU’s broader mission of national cohesion and democratic governance.

A study carried out by Mamokhere and Meyer (2023) revealed that:

Khambule and Kariuki (2024) further highlight the challenges encountered in successful implementation of community projects within the South African municipalities, which are also symptomatic at national level. These are aligning plans with realistic resource allocations, disconnect between planning and fiscal frameworks, weak inter-sphere coordination between national, provincial and local governments, and limited information-sharing platforms. Strategies for creating joint community development projects within South Africa’s 2024 GNU can be effectively designed through the intersection of PTU and SIT, which together offer a framework for fostering collaboration, shared purpose and social cohesion.

In due course, community initiatives that mobilise faith-based organisations alongside local government and civil society will embody Pentecostal calls for healing and restoration while leveraging SIT’s emphasis on building inclusive identities. Such identities rise above ethnic and cultural divisions. More still, mounting educational empowerment programmes that partner schools, churches and community leaders promote unity through nurturing a collective identity centred on shared aspirations for youth development, thus addressing systemic inequalities through collaborative engagement (Harrison 2023).

Lastly, based on these studies’ (Harrison 2023; Mamokhere & Meyer 2023) findings, this study suggests the introduction of sustainable projects that integrate small enterprise development which draw from Pentecostal values of stewardship and mutual support, while encompassing the SIT to build intergroup cooperation and reduce social fragmentation through highlighting common economic goals. For sustainability, these projects need to be designed with sensitivity to the local social fabric, ensuring that unity does not suppress legitimate cultural differences but rather channels diversity into constructive partnerships (Maonei & Shava 2023). Such an integrative approach not only enhances project sustainability but it also strengthens the GNU’s broader mandate to build a cohesive and inclusive society.

Strategies for infusing theological reflections into education within the 2024 GNU in South Africa, blending PTU and SIT, can be articulated through three critical approaches, viz: (1) curriculum development, (2) teacher training, and (3) intergroup dialogue that yields experiential learning. These are discussed next in more detail.

A study by Watson et al. (2025b) promulgates the use of values as the epicentre of any nation’s existence, and they say values are:

Thus, when curriculum development integrates PTU ideals of reconciliation and spiritual unity, the GNU performance and effectiveness is enhanced, bringing sustainable development and ecological sustainability (Stork & Öhlmann 2025). In addition, teacher training programmes designed to equip educators with theological literacy and social psychological awareness will enable them to facilitate dialogue that bridges identity divides while nurturing empathy and mutual respect at the same time.

Studies that have been consulted regarding the budget process stalemate over increased VAT in 2025 (Ensor 2025), the BELA Act debacle (Pongweni 2025), ugly intraparty fights on ideological and policy divergencies (Mahlakoana 2024, cited in Maswanganyi 2025), and incessant municipal fiascos (Payne & Njilo 2025, cited in Maswanganyi 2025) are indicators of the need for oiling of the GNU machinery through the infusion of theological reflection into education into the curriculum.

On another note, experiential learning initiatives as espoused by Watson et al. (2025a), such as intergroup dialogues and community service projects embody Pentecostal calls for communal solidarity and SIT’s insight into reducing intergroup bias through positive contact, thereby cultivating practical expressions of unity within diverse educational settings. Nevertheless, these strategies require careful balancing to avoid theological dominance while promoting an inclusive ethos that aligns with South Africa’s pluralistic society and the GNU’s commitment to national cohesion.

Approaches for creating advocacy and policy influence within South Africa’s 2024 GNU are evidently enhanced through the integration of PTU with SIT. Pentecostal Theology of Unity, with its emphasis on spiritual unity and reconciliation, provides a moral and ethical foundation that motivates collective action grounded in shared values and a vision of communal well-being (Maswanganyi 2025). This theological lens promotes an inclusive narrative that rises above partisan divisions and fosters a sense of higher purpose essential for sustained advocacy efforts. Concurrently, SIT elucidates how group affiliations shape political behaviour and policy preferences, highlighting the importance of constructing superordinate identities that can unite diverse constituencies under common goals (Mahlakoana 2024, cited in Maswanganyi 2025). Effective advocacy strategies, therefore, must navigate the complex interplay between preserving group distinctiveness and promote inclusive coalitions that leverage shared identities to influence policy agendas (Pongweni 2025). This article thus posits, such a nexus demands deliberate engagement with both the symbolic and structural dimensions of policymaking, including faith-based mobilisation, coalition-building and culturally resonant messaging that align with the GNU’s pluralistic framework.

Several studies (Ensor 2025; Pongweni 2025; Maswanganyi 2025; Watson et al. 2025a) revealed that, in the context of South Africa’s 2024 GNU, regarding promoting diversity and inclusivity, there is a need for bringing in multifaceted approaches, and some such approaches can come the nexus between PTU and SIT.

Pentecostal Theology emphasises a spiritual and communal unity grounded in shared faith, transcending ethnic and cultural divisions by fostering a collective identity centred on divine reconciliation and mutual respect (Hollander 2024). This theological framework encourages inclusive dialogue and solidarity, which can be strategically employed to bridge historical and social divides within the GNU (Urbaniak & Khorommbi 2020). Social identity theory provides critical insights into how individuals’ self-concepts are shaped by group memberships, highlighting the potential for in-group favouritism and out-group exclusion. Effective strategies must therefore focus on creating superordinate identities within the GNU that encompass diverse ethnic, cultural and political groups, thereby reducing intergroup biases and fostering cohesion (Gumbo 2022). Favourably, this involves institutionalising participatory mechanisms, equitable representation and intercultural competence training that reflect both theological imperatives and social psychological realities.

Nonetheless, a critical challenge remains in navigating the tension between preserving distinct group identities and promoting a unified national ethos, requiring continuous negotiation and reflexivity. In the end, infusing Pentecostal theological principles with SIT in policy and practice offers a nuanced pathway to cultivate an inclusive GNU, one that not only recognises but also celebrates South Africa’s pluralism while striving for collective harmony and democratic resilience.

Concerns regarding the coalition’s legitimacy under the philosophy of associated consociational democracy, which promotes inclusive power-sharing, are raised by the EFF and MK’s absence from South Africa’s 2024 GNU (Payne & Njilo 2025, cited in Maswanganyi 2025). Because they are two of the top four best performing parties in terms of electoral support, their absence calls into question the GNU’s assertion that it represents all significant political forces and could drive away its followers, many of whom favour drastic economic change. Given that both parties are recruiting opposition forces in response to this exclusion, political division may increase (Petersen 2024, cited in Maswanganyi 2025).

In order to promote inclusive interdenominational cooperation and national cohesion, the 2024 GNU in South Africa can significantly improve its ecumenism strategies by fusing PTU with SIT. Pentecostal Theology of Unity’s emphasis on spiritual unity and reconciliation offers a theological imperative for diverse Christian traditions to overcome doctrinal divisions, promoting a shared faith identity that transcends denominational boundaries. This is enhanced by SIT, which clarifies how, depending on social contexts and leadership, group identities, such as denominational affiliations, can both divide and unite communities. Therefore, in the GNU context, effective ecumenical strategies must concentrate on developing flawless religious identities that highlight shared objectives and values, minimising intergroup prejudice, and promoting collaboration among all groups. In order to ensure that ecumenism significantly contributes to the GNU’s mandate for inclusive governance and social harmony, these strategies must critically negotiate the conflict between upholding distinctive religious identities and fostering a unified milieu that supports the development of national unity.

This research offers several key recommendations and contributions to scholarship, particularly in the socio-economic, cultural and policy domains within South Africa’s 2024 GNU. By integrating PTU with SIT, the study highlights how faith-based ethical frameworks can complement social psychological insights to foster inclusive governance, social cohesion and participatory development.

Socio-economically, such a nexus encourages collaborative community projects and educational reforms that address inequality while promoting collective identity and mutual respect.

Culturally, it supports the affirmation of diverse identities within a unifying national narrative, which is crucial in a pluralistic society.

From a policy perspective, the findings advocate for deliberate inclusion of theological reflections in public discourse and policymaking, alongside evidence-based approaches to managing group identities and intergroup relations.

Theoretically, this research expands interdisciplinary dialogue between theology and social psychology, offering a model for other contexts grappling with diversity and unity.

Future research should explore empirical assessments of implemented strategies, investigate the role of other religious traditions in similar frameworks and examine long-term impacts on national reconciliation and democratic stability in South Africa.