WATCH: Pastors say ‘No to drugs and gang wars’
Pastors put their foot down against drug issue in Westbury.
Last month, the community of Westbury and surrounding areas rose up against drug lords and violence in the community after Heather Petersen was shot dead in a crossfire.
Residents took to the streets in protest all on their own stating that no leaders or politicians will use the protest for their personal campaigning or agendas including religious leaders.
Weeks later a large group of clerics from various Charismatic Pentecostal Denominations and their congregations from predominately Coloured areas across the country choose to support the fight by staging open-air meetings where they prayed for their communities.
Sixteen areas including Westbury, Riverlea, Ennerdale, Eldorado Park, Reiger Park, South Hills as well as townships in Cape Town and Durban were all part of the initiative to fight against drugs and gang wars.
One of the leaders who lead with the initiative Bishop Ashley Julius from Redeemed Gospel in Westbury said: “Some of our churches had prayer days at the stadium, chain prayers in the community, we have a program running at schools to make the children aware of the dangers relating to gangs and drugs, but all these initiatives were done in silos.”
“The time has come for us as all as clergy and congregants to stand together as one, to rid our communities of drugs, gangs and being marginalised. We are hopeful that the open meeting will bring communities together to unite in the fight against drugs, pervasive gang turf wars and violence that have become a norm that is plaguing our society.”
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The church leader added that they had numerous interventions to stop the violence and warfare in the area in past, but those were all individual churches working on their own. The meetings were all coordinated to start simultaneously in all sixteen areas.
“We believe that this is a start to say to communities that the church has not forsaken them and there is an alternative,” added Julius.
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