St Columba’s church joins national shutdown against GBV
Parkview comes together to mourn and stand against gender-based violence. At midday, the church bell rang, ribbons were tied, and the community lay in silent protest, calling for change.
St Columba’s Presbyterian Church in Parkview joined communities across South Africa today in a national shutdown against gender-based violence ahead of the G20 Summit.
Read more: Locals get behind GBV shutdown
At midday, residents gathered at George Hay Park dressed in black to mourn the 15 women who lose their lives to violence each day. The group lay silently on the grass for 15 minutes while the church bell rang across Parkview, each minute honouring a life lost.
Reverend Melanie Cook described the moment as a cry of lament and a holy act of saying ‘Enough.’ She said gender-based violence in South Africa had reached epidemic levels and that the church felt called to stand with those who cannot stand alone. “This Friday is not merely activism. It is worship and intercession. It is obedience to Christ who always moved toward the hurting,” she said.
Also read: Parkview SAPS acted swiftly to arrest a GBV perpetrator
@caxtonjoburgnorth People gather at the George Hay Park and stand im solidarity, remembering the women killed through GBV. Video: Naziya Davids-Easthorpe #Rosebank #GBV ♬ original sound – Caxton Joburg North
Community members tied purple ribbons to the park fence in memory of victims and in hope for change. Cook said these simple actions may seem small, but they remain significant acts of solidarity and witness. She added that the church continues to stand with the broken-hearted, the silenced and the wounded.
For a quiet moment, the Parkview community came together to mourn, to resist and to insist that the violence must end.
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