Dozens of residents answered a call to pray at the Flower of Cape Town monument in Westridge Gardens on Wednesday 9 July.
The call was issued by Christian radio station Radio Tygerberg in light of the recent gang violence across Mitchell’s Plain, which claimed the lives of seven people.
The station’s Cisca Badenhorst said: “We simply want to lift the area up in prayer, especially those who lost loved ones and the many residents who are living in fear.”
She said the station’s listeners were also invited to join the residents in prayer.
Rikus van Rooy, Radio Tygerberg’s station manager, said: “We realise that this gang war has been ongoing for decades and various socio-economic factors contribute to it, such as fatherlessness in most families and especially unemployment. However, we believe in the power of prayer and as the largest Christian radio station in the country it is our duty to proclaim Christ and make an impact in communities.
Van Rooy said the monument was chosen because it had been erected as a reminder of the last time the residents of the area had united in prayer, in 2018. At the time the city had been in the midst of a drought and had been days away from running out of water.
“This monument was erected after the It’s Time gathering in Mitchell’s Plain, where 250 000 people came together and preacher and prophet Angus Buchan prayed for rain. At that time Cape Town had only 10 days of water left and was on the brink of becoming the first city in the world to run out of water. That day a quarter of a million people prayed, and it began to rain during the event, breaking the drought.”
The prayer gathering, on Wednesday morning, was one of several other planned events in Mitchell’s Plain, all called in response to the gang violence. Later that evening the City held a Memorial Prayer Vigil at Shekinah Full Gospel Church. Event facilitator Councillor Avron Plaatjies said political parties and stakeholders had met with police before the prayer service for a briefing with the station commander.
They then attended the vigil for the victims of this mass shooting, which was led by Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews.
Another prayer event will be held on Sunday 13 July. Save Mitchell’s Plain will hold a prayer motorcade, starting at Westridge Civic Centre at 14:00.
On Saturday 12 July there will also be a Peace Festival at Woodville Primary School.
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