Two men were found dead in less than a week — one floating in the Jukskei River near Setswetla on November 6, another discovered on 6th Rooth Street two days later.
The shocking discoveries served as the latest reminder of Alexandra’s rising tide of violent crime.

They add to a growing list of cases involving rape and youth-on-youth attacks, leaving many residents questioning whether the state can still protect them; a concern clearly reflected in recent community marches to the local police station demanding stronger action.

On November 10, faith-based individuals and organisations gathered at 3 Square Sports Stadium to seek spiritual intervention. They said that Alexandra’s crisis reflected a deeper spiritual and moral collapse that policing alone couldn’t resolve.

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City of Johannesburg’s Rebbeca Pinky Lama said the situation in the community had necessitated their involvement. “Certain things are seen through the eyes of the flesh, but you [spiritual people] see them spiritually,” she said.

Unlike some community-led protests, the gathering was not intended to highlight declining trust in police officers’ ability to stem the bloodshed. On the contrary, it aimed to complement existing crime-fighting efforts. While police crack down on crime through arrests, spiritual leaders pledged to wage war against further bloodshed through prayer.

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Although some called for ceremonies and ancestral appeasement, Gogo Mahambanomoya stressed that Alexandra must first confront ‘restless spirits roaming around’ before any ritual can succeed. She linked the current violence to abandoned traditions, explaining that, unlike in the past, people’s spirits are no longer collected at the place of death.

“Alexandra needs to be cleansed before we do ceremonial work to protect the township,” she said.

Meanwhile, Pastor Stephanie Ngcobo warned that Alexandra’s violence is also perpetuated by language, curses, and rituals of vengeance. She explained that grieving families sometimes curse offenders or urge the deceased to avenge themselves. “When you give the deceased a knife and say they should avenge themselves, they [their spirit] will kill people,” she said.

The meeting established a task team to chart a spiritual response and ensure the intervention is urgent. “Every day there is a body being discovered,” said Gogo Brenda Selibe. “It doesn’t help for us to be quiet and say ‘let what happens happen.’”

As the township heads into the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, Selibe said spiritual leaders must position themselves as duty bearers who were committed to ensuring that Alexandra sees an end to violence.

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