Cape Town - Following the release of shocking crime statistics in the Western Cape last week, religious leaders of Cape Town, along with various organisations and communities, will take to the streets tomorrow to embark on a silent peace prayer march.
The march comes with many citizens feeling unhappy about the high level of crime. The leaders feel the situation is impacting on citizens’ constitutional rights. The march, according to the religious leaders, will be in prayerful silence, emphasising the element of calm that is absent from residents’ daily lives. They plan to raise the slogan of “peace, love, compassion and mercy” against all the evil in communities.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday that was attended by various religious and traditional leaders, the South African Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC’s) Reverend Chris Nissen said: “We need an all-inclusive approach.
“As for the SAHRC, we’re here to support this initiative to break down the cycle of crime that is violating people’s movement because criminals are entering homes.
“We will always be here, and not only from a mandate point of view. We are here to support and make the change needed,” he said.
“Enough is enough, we need to stand up, speak up and act, the Constitution recognises and speaks to the Bill of Rights,” he added.
Another leader, from the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC), Maulana Abdul Khaliq Ebrahim Allie, said they had to be on the right side of history and could not be silenced. “The state of the nation is challenged by the high levels of crime and corruption.
“Our people are not feeling safe anywhere, their human rights are under severe strain and their rights are being violated. “As the faith community, we join fellow South Africans in expressing deep concern about the state of our country and the serious impact crime and violence have on our communities,” he said.
Unemployment, inequalities and poverty as well as the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies impacted on the fight against crime, they said. They also applauded the national police minister and provincial MEC for their interventions and efforts to fight crime, but felt that more needed to be done.
The march will see a memorandum of demands handed over to Parliament.
Maulana Ebrahim Allie said: “We cannot have party politics dictate how cheap life is. The government must be held responsible for safety and security.
“We want moral and ethical leadership, we need to reactivate moral regeneration, which includes that of government officials. People must be patriotic, they have to love their country and uphold the values the stalwarts fought for,” he said.
“We need recommitment from the government and the strengthening of resources for law enforcement agencies.”
@TheCapeArgus