KABOKWENI – Local children called on the community to stop xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals. This was during a Mother’s Day celebration held at Trinity Church of God on May 10.
This message was recently narrated in a poem titled People of Africa stop the Xenophobic Attacks by 10-year-old Lindelwa Mdaka, a grade five learner of Tenteleni Primary School with her friend, Nomphetho Mbuyane (11) who is also in grade five at Mhwayi Primary School. They read their poem to commemorate Mother’s Day and it left the church members in tears of joy.
In the poem the minors asked whether the xenophobic attacks were happening because Tata Nelson Mandela was no longer here. Like many stakeholders as well as government, they called for a stop in the attacks.
A young church member, Nondumiso Zulu shed tears of joy while thanking her mom, Isa Mlambo, for being her pillar of strength in a poem titled Pride of Africa.
Yvonne Mdaka, who also spoke, thanked the women of the church for the motherly role they played in her life. “I thank you all for the love and support you have always shown to me. As a result I’ve decided to make this church my home, I am now an unshaken member because of your love, kindness and compassion in good and bad times. I sometimes feel like a baby by the way you show your love in and outside church. This love is just indescribable. Happy Mother’s Day to all,” said Mdaka.
Gogo Khelina Magagula, also a church member, urged them to be role models to young women both in conduct and speech, to be highly organised, clean, take good care of their children and be obedient to their husbands. It was also heard that women should do whatever it takes to protect their children.
Speaker after speaker urged women to be prayer warriors and to know when to plead for God’s intervention in their lives, families and community. “We are not called to bad-mouth one another but to cry and seek the face of God in prayer whenever there is something troubling us,” added Thuli Mlangeni.
The day was marked by the praising of the eldest women of the church who were also thanked for their role of looking after the young ones when their mothers and fathers were at work, and also for raising and taking care of orphaned and vulnerable children.