Thousands pray against police killings
23 October 2015
More than 5 000 people converged into the Standard Bank Arena in Ellis Park on Thursday October 22 for a mass prayer service in honour of the 60 police officers who were killed in line of duty nationwide this year alone.
Of these, 33 were killed in Johannesburg.
In his address, Johannesburg Executive Mayor Councillor Parks Tau urged communities to ensure that those responsible for the killings were brought to book.
The venue was a kaleidoscope of colours as members of various faiths and religions called for an immediate end to the killing of police officers. Among those who graced the mass prayer service was the charismatic and popular Prophet Mboro, who received thunderous applause as he was introduced to the audience.
Also present was a strong contingent of traditional healers from all corners of the city
The ceremony was characterised by song and dance, with several local gospel musicians entertaining the crowd with popular tunes. The South African Police Service’s brass band ushered the Executive Mayor into the arena and also performed a popular African chorus to the delight of the audience.
In his address, Mayor Tau said in many instances members of communities knew who the criminals were and consequently had a duty to join the movement against crime.
“We cannot continue to say we are sorry to the families whose loved ones are being killed while on duty. Not only did the callous killers they take away a father, they also took away from our children the future,” he said.
Mayor Tau also commiserated with the families of people who died in the Sandton bridge collapse and of those who were brutally murdered in Rhodes Park on Saturday October 17.
“We need to rise up as a people to ensure we are able to confront this scourge,” he said.
The Mayor urged communities to have a paradigm shift in their relations with police. He said the majority of crimes committed in Johannesburg, such as rape, murder and robbery, were perpetrated by individuals who knew the victim. He stressed that it was only through working closely with police that perpetrators of these crimes could be brought to book.
The Executive Mayor added that from a crime prevention point of view, the City had improved the training of JMPD officers. He also praised the Johannesburg Emergency Management Services’ personnel who responded swiftly when a scaffolding supporting the construction of a foot bridge on Grayston Drive on the M1 in Sandton last week collapsed, killing two people and injuring several others, for their professionalism and commitment to their work.
“We saw the best of our EMS. They really made us proud in the manner in which they handled the incident. We sometimes don’t appreciate the sacrifices that they go through,” he said.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Health and Social Development Councillor Nonceba Molwele said the aim of the mass prayer service was to raise awareness of the importance of police presence in communities and of the creation of partnerships between police and communities.
“We need divine intervention in our communities to ensure we exorcise the devil that is causing crime in our communities,” MMC Molwele said.