Local pastors join hands to pray for the SAPS

The Boksburg police station will soon introduce a divine-intervention programme whereby local pastors will regularly visit the police station and pray with the men and women in blue and their support team.

To pave the way for the programme to kick off, local pastors and members of the SAPS, as well as community patrollers gathered at the New Beginnings Foundation’s boardroom to form the Pastors and Police Forum (PPF), on February 15.

Local pastors have indicated that they are available to serve by visiting the Boksburg police station on a regular basis to pray for the staff, including management.

In addition to the regular spiritual care, the team of pastors will also offer the police counselling and organise events in which police will join hands in prayer with community members and pastors, praying for peace in the area.

A date to elect and induct the executive team is still to be announced.

Speaking during the event, the PPF district chairperson, Bishop Edwin Mariba, said through his experience working in the district, he has seen many obstacles being overcome through prayer.

“As pastors, we are here to make strong connections between the communities and the police.

“We use the word of God in the mass prayer events attended by the police and invite community members to foster peace and a relationship between themselves and the police.

“We clearly also explain the importance of the role of the police and the service they render to the communities, and use that to connect and intensify a working relationship among all the parties involved,” explained Mariba.

Mariba said many police officers are stressed, apparently due to economical, work and family issues, and these problems sometimes result in suicide and the officers killing their partners, children and relatives.

“The forum will use the word of God to tell the stressed out officers that they don’t need to take their lives and that of their loved ones because God is there to help them.

“We will also have prayer with the management team because everybody needs God, even the president needs God to help him rule, otherwise the president will rule in a shameful way and will rule where the people mourn.

“If you read the book of Proverbs 29 verse 2, it says when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked man rules, the people groan and sigh.”

The Boksburg SAPS station commander, Col Daniel Baloyi, welcomed the move, pointing out that sometimes the police job is stressful. He added that he is hoping that working with pastors will help them overcome many challenges, including calming down tensions between the police and community members.

“I’m so grateful and my team members here are very much grateful. Thank you to everyone who is involved in making this programme become a big success,” said Baloyi.

Mariba indicated during the meeting that the PPF project will also be introduced to all the 39 police stations within the district.