Efforts to root out crime in Lwandle took a new prayerful turn over the past weekend as different community stakeholders sought divine intervention.
Councillors, police, nurses and representatives of the South African National Civics Organisation (Sanco) converged on the Lwandle Community Hall on Saturday 12 February to pledge support for these efforts and pray together for them.
The gathering was organised by Strand Minister Network on the theme “Power of Fellowship”. The network described the prayer as an opportunity for different stakeholders to lay bare their daily challenges to find ways to mitigate them.
Pastor Msindisi Mayedwa, from Foundation of Apostle and Prophets Fellowship Centre, said the group decided to come together as different churches to conduct the programme for the community of Lwandle. He believes through unity they can do more. “As the Strand Minister Network’s aim is to pray for and with them for the challenges that besiege our community,” he said. “ We are also here to hear the challenges faced by these different structures and see how as churches we can intervene.”
Mayedwa said the churches, in addressing some challenges, have opened their buildings to fire victims, to accommodate them and offer food relief, and they were also looking at schools to see how they can assist.
Lwandle Police Station commander Col Xolani Williams said he was happy to be part of such an initiative. He added it helped police deal with some of the issues affecting communities.
He said: “As the community of Lwandle we have a serious issue with rape, for instance, which needs everyone’s involvement. The churches can help us dig deep to find out what is really happening within families. People are keeping quiet, and this allows issues of domestic violence to continue unabated. We have been to schools as police to speak to learners so that they can also be our eyes and ears on such issues.”
Williams said the prayer also helped to remind councillors and reverends that they are commissioners of oaths. This, he said, can assist in reducing the numbers of people who visit the station to certify documents. This would ensure police focus their attention on more pressing issues, such as crime.
Xolani Diniso, Ward 86 councillor, said “enough is enough” and as the different structures needed to forge unity to face one enemy which is “crime!”