Prayer meeting in park for lives lost to crime
Friends, family and community and church members gathered in Edleen on Sunday to pray for the safety of the neighbourhood
RESIDENTS, community members and affiliates of local churches came together late Sunday morning to pray for the safety of the community.
The prayer meeting, held from 11.30am to 12.30pm, came after an increase in crime and after two Edleen residents were murdered in the past few weeks.
Hetta Kotze, one of the residents who were a part of the ceremony, said the prayer was not only for its residents, but also for the policemen and women who worked every day to keep the neighbourhoods of the city safe and secure.
“We, as Christians living in Edleen, are coming to stand in the gap before the Lord today, in the name of Jesus, for the residents of our suburb. To plead with Him for an end to the violence in the suburb, to pray for the family and friends of those who have lost loved ones, to pray for the protection of the elderly in the suburb and the safety of all residents,” Kotze expressed.
“To pray for the police, the metro police and those in Ekurhuleni who are involved in safety and security, that the Lord will lead them to put the proper measures in place to safeguard our community. We are also praying for forgiveness for the criminals and that the Lord will change their hearts, so that Edleen will be a safe place again for our children to grow up and play.”
The crowd gathered in the park bordered by Salix Terrace and Elder Street in Edleen, opposite the home of one of the victims, Clive Alexander. The 70-year-old was shot and killed in his driveway on August 4.
His widow Hilda also attended the prayer meeting.
Metro police officer Martiens Bann was shot dead on July 11 while trying to help his neighbours who were being robbed.
On July 28, a 36-year-old mother was gunned down in her Esther Park driveway. On July 31, a 61-year-old woman lost her life in Norkem Park when she was killed in her bedroom.
The prayer session, led by Rev Gideon Strauss, was attended by community members and affiliates from local churches, including Past Luvuyo Sifo of Kempton Park Methodist Church.
Residents were given an opportunity to say their own prayers out loud and to themselves as the crowd held hands in solidarity.
People prayed to the Lord to watch over them and keep the community safe and free from crime. A father, who recently moved into the neighbourhood with his family, also asked God for protection and to watch over the children as they played in the parks and streets.
