Church leaders and community groups held a mass prayer for boys at the Gugulethu Sports Complex in Cape Town on Thursday, with the theme “Asivumi ngabo”, meaning “we won’t give up on them”.
Ubuhlobo Women’s Society chairperson Babalwa Mothibi said the boys need God’s help.
“We are here to ask for God’s intervention. We gave birth to them, and we cannot turn our backs on them now. They need us to save them,” Mothibi said.
“They shoot each other, drop out of school, take drugs, commit suicide and are involved in crime.”
Mothibi noted that many boys in Gugulethu grow up without fathers.
“Most boys are being raised by their grandmothers. They have no role models or father figures and end up on the wrong side of the law. We are here to tell them that we are here for them. They are not alone.”
The group also took their concerns to the police station.
“We call for national police intervention. We urge the SAPS to take immediate action by crafting an effective crime-combating plan, including the deployment of the National Intervention Unit to our communities,” she said.
The National Intervention Unit is an elite tactical unit that is part of SAPS’s special operations element.
Gugulethu police boss Colonel Soyiso Mantyi promised to help.
“The direction we need to take depends on you. I received the memorandum, and one of the things you want is police visibility on each street. We have them, but the question is: are they good enough?” Mantyi asked.
Gugulethu resident Athini Baleni supports the prayer campaign.
“I hope the prayers help. It is sad to see teenagers involved in crime, and some are into drugs. They have potential, and I believe they will change once they see that someone cares about them,” Baleni said.
Pictured above: Ubuhlobo Women’s Society and other organisations held a mass prayer for boys with the theme “Asivumi ngabo”.
Source: Buziwe Nocuze
