AMID ongoing social challenges, a year-end thanksgiving and prayer service was held at the Empangeni Civic Centre on Tuesday, to seek divine intervention.

Hosted by the City of uMhlathuze, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Velenkosini Hlabisa addressed representatives from various church denominations, traditional leaders and local councillors.

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The service focused on pressing social issues, including gender-based violence and femicide (GBV-F), crime, road accidents, a stagnant economy and high unemployment rate, climate change and structural disasters, the safety of religious institutions, and the need for peaceful upcoming local government elections.

“These prayers are not only for uMhlathuze. We are praying for the whole country as we are faced with the pandemic of GBV-F. We will be praying for men to become protectors of women and children,” he said.

Hlabisa added that the abuse of alcohol and drugs by young people was also included among the key issues placed before God during the service.

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