On Tuesday, churchgoers, traditional leaders, and other residents of Newrest in Gugulethu, Cape Town, gathered to ask God for help.
Community members held a prayer meeting to address unemployment, drugs, crime, and teenage pregnancy.
Nwabisa Zama, the event’s organiser, said: “We have met stakeholders, worked with different organisations, and tried to come up with plans to fight the issues we have been facing, but it is not working. We are now turning to God to bring peace to our community.”
Zama said the police are doing their part but cannot do it alone.
“We had an imbizo where we talked about everything troubling this community, and as residents, we are also trying to play our part,” she said.
“Unemployment is the cause of many problems, including young people ending up taking drugs and drinking a lot because they are depressed.”
She suggested more jobs could reduce crime and drug use.
Zama said unemployment is the source of all the problems the community is facing.
“We have teenage pregnancy, and for that, I will also blame unemployment and poverty. If the teenagers’ parents were working, their kids wouldn’t be throwing themselves at older men in order to get food or other things,” she said.
Pictured above: Newrest residents in Gugulethu township, Cape Town, gathered to pray to fight unemployment, drugs, crime, and teenage pregnancy.
Source: Buziwe Nocuze.
