We, the Mitchells Plain Rebuild Ministers Forum, hereby want to let the government know, as you address the current outbreak of gang-related murders that is taking place in Mitchell’s Plain, that we are praying for you to do all that’s needed to restore and maintain peace and order in our community.
According to Romans 13:1-5 – God has appointed you to the task of bringing terror upon those who do wrong.
We are praying for God to protect you as you courageously, without fear or favour, enforce law and order on the perpetrators of violence.
“Romans 13:1-3” – The authorities that exist have been established by God.
Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgement on themselves.
For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. ”
This appeal to the government to maintain law and order is especially given in light of the Impact pilot projects that are taking place from 7 to 11 July, in the Portland and Westridge sectors. We are persuaded that it can’t be a coincidence that these Two Trauma Informed Holiday Clubs (TIHC) will take place in what has overnight become a red zone.
We choose to believe that these traumatising incidents are taking place in Mitchell’s Plain, not only to draw ongoing attention to the scourge of gangsterism but more so to draw attention to this new intervention that was birthed to stop gang-related violence.
Several of these incidents of violent murders took place within proximity to the venues where the TIHC’s will be hosted.
The purpose for hosting these TIHC’s is to prevent and reduce harm in children by providing safe spaces for them during holidays and after school.
These ambitious interventions form part of the Mitchell’s Plain Integrated Community Safety Strategy. This strategic plan initiated by the Mitchell’s Plain Community Police Forum (CPF), was designed through a process of inclusive dialogues with a broad range of Mitchell’s Plain stakeholders which included – Epic Evolve NPO, Impact, Mitchell’s Plain Neighbourhood Watch, Department Of Health, M.P.Rebuild.M.F.
The purpose statements of this initiative are as follows:
Vision – We exist to see an empowered and resilient community in Mitchells Plain free from the influence of gangsterism.
Mission – To implement a sustainable safety strategy through prevention, intervention and suppression, uniting government, community organisations, religious institutions, schools, and local businesses.
As civil society, led by God, we are making a renewed commitment, through prevention (TIHC’s, reading clubs, etc) and restoration (drug recovery programmes etc.) interventions, to turn the tide on gangsterism and the lifestyle of violence and the related criminality it breeds.
This communication is in respectful acknowledgement that you are the stakeholder, in Mitchells Plain, appointed by God Himself (Romans 13:1-5) to suppress wrongdoing.
In light of this multi- stakeholder Strategic Plan, we appeal to and encourage the police, which is governments law enforcement agency, to now especially bring to bear your mandate to enforce law and order by suppressing all gang related-activities within a 1 km radius around these two TIHC’s.
Your efforts will ensure that the prevention and restoration efforts currently afoot in Mitchell’s Plain, will not be frustrated by the gang-related violence.
Like you, we are fully aware that the planners and perpetrators of the current outbreak of violence are using these murders to take over and control territory through fear. Scientific evidence proves that terrors of fear cause tremendous harm to the communities, and especially to children growing up in such an environment. Bold interventions from the police to suppress this outbreak of violence can help to interrupt the cycles of trauma that our community and especially the children are experiencing.
Our parents and guardians must see the police bringing terror upon those who are harming our community and its children. They must no longer be left to feel isolated and powerless. Cancelling the holiday clubs or pressuring parents to withhold their children from attending, will only further the lie that as a community, with a well-resourced Law Enforcement Agency, we are still powerless to stop violent gang related criminality.
As Rebuild we appeal to all of our community stakeholders, especially the police, to use this crisis as a moment, engineered by God Himself, to show both victims and perpetrators that we are a community that’s taking back our right to peace – for the sake of the healthy development of our children.
As a forum, we look forward to engaging the government with regards to this correspondence.
Bishop Mark Bloemstein, Chair of Mitchells Plain Rebuild Ministers Forum
