Churches March Against Armed Robbery as Cases Soar

Churches March Against Armed Robbery as Cases Soar

Various churches in Nelson Mandela Bay say enough is enough with crime in the Easten Cape. The churches marched on Monday, 23 September under the banner of the South African Council of Churches. They marched against the high crime rate in the city.

Robbers Invade Church and Steal Cash

Worshippers demanded that all spheres of government, including civil organisations and NGOs, come together to address the issue of crime in their communities.

They also demanded that the municipality immediately fix and install floodlights and high masts in hotspot areas, install CCTV cameras and gun detectors, as well as activate drones. They also want the police to revive capable crime intelligence services and call for immediate deployment of soldiers.

One of the churches was recently attacked by criminals and congregants robbed of their belongings.

Bishop Mthuthuzeli Vena said: “As churches in Nelson Mandela Bay, we are disturbed by the crime that is happening in our city. We have noticed that crime has escalated in our churches, where we are robbed during church services. This made us come together as pastors to talk about this and say no, we cannot sit and keep quiet.

Churches March Against Armed Robbery as Cases Soar

“We want to pray for our city because we believe there is a God in heaven who can hear our cries. He can end all this lawlessness happening in our city. We want to work together with government to stop this crime. We don’t want to tell authorities what to do, but also want to be part of stopping criminality.”

Accepting the petition on behalf of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, Council Speaker, Eugene Johnson said the municipality has been meeting with the police and other stakeholders to develop a plan to fight crime.

“The community must take crime issues seriously because we can't allow criminals to rule our communities. We will contact the church within 14 days regarding all issues raised in this petition,” Johnson said.

Nelson Mandela Bay district police commissioner, Major-General Vuyisile Ncatha said: “The church has decided on its own to join the fight and what I love about this is that where there is a church, there is God.

“God cannot be defeated by criminals. We now know we are not alone in the fight against crime, and that makes us happy. It also encourages us to do more because when you are helped, you must show that appreciation.”