Prayer for peace in Louis Trichardt
We are saying no to any form of crime in our area and the only way we should be dealing with this situation is to involve everyone in the community to fight against such, says Brig Eddie van der Walt, Makhado Cluster Commander
LIMPOPO – Members from the police, pastors and several community structures marched from the police station in Makhado to Southpansberg Primary School in Louis Trichardt recently, to pray for peace in the country.
The gathering came in the wake of several violent protests against foreign nationals, witnessed in South Africa.
The Chairperson of the Community Policing Forum (CPF), Sampson Mphilo appealed to local community members to continue to pray for peace and unity. He said people needed to pray and fast, to avoid bitterness and confusion, and he appealed to the youth not to allow themselves to be used by politicians to intimidate and attack their opponents. He called for political and religious tolerance to sustain the peace and security that the local community has enjoyed for years.
“We cannot allow our communities and the municipal area to be in flames during our tenure as political leaders. We do not know what is happening, but we are praying to God to forgive us all our sins and restore peace and smile back on our area.” He said the municipality was facing some trying times and he called for support from the community to reverse the situation.
He pleaded with residents to stand up against criminals and reclaim the streets in their communities and he called on parents to instill good values in their children. Brig Eddie van der Walt, Makhado Cluster Commander, said he was happy about the decrease in crime statistics in Makhado.
“According to the recent statistics, we are the number one station in the province in terms of reducing crime. Armed and business robberies have gone down in our area.”
He said they held weekly meetings with other government departments in their efforts to reduce crime.
“We are saying no to any form of crime in our area and the only way we should be dealing with this situation is to involve everyone in the community to fight against such,” Van der Walt said.
