WeeklySA_AdminCLARION CALL: Community activist Unathi Nkomfa galvanises the public to tackle the current crime wave gripping local communities …
By Siyabonga Kamnqa
Scores of rural Eastern Cape elderly people have abandoned their homes for safer life in urban areas – to escape rampant crime.
Crimes such as gun violence, rape and murders of the elderly continue to ravage rural communities as the elderly – who mostly live alone- become easy targets for criminals. In an attempt to bring awareness around this scourge, community activist the Reverend Unathi Nkomfa, will host “Imvuselelo yaseMbhashe” at the Kholo Kingdom Mission Centre in Dutywa on April 28, to pray for an end to crime. Mbhashe Municipality is home to former president Thabo Mbeki.
Unathi, the widow of late popular award-winning gospel artist Rev Nkomfa, will host the event alongside Ilizwi FM co-founder and presenter Dr Reverend Mzukisi Faleni. Speaking to Weekly SA Mirror this week, Mam’ Nkomfa, as she is affectionately known, said attendance was free of charge and called on church formations to come in their numbers.
“Our rural communities used to be peaceful and drug abuse, gun violence and rapes and murders of the elderly were unheard of. But today we wake up to harrowing incidents daily. As a result, most young people are moving their elderly parents to the big cities where they are working, fearing for their safety,” said Nkomfa.
She said the problem stemmed from thugs who commit crimes in big cities such as Cape Town and Johannesburg and then come to hide in the Eastern Cape. “It is a big problem. They (thugs) then continue committing crimes here and terrorise our communities. Another issue is that police stations are only situated in town, mostly kilometres away, and it takes time before police can respond to a crime,” she said.
According to the latest police crime statistics, the Eastern Cape has the highest murder rate in the country. Another major issue, added Nkomfa, was lack of awareness among rural dwellers about dementia among elderly people. As a result, she said, many elderly women were often attacked and killed after being accused of witchcraft.
“We will be praying for God’s intervention in all these issues. We will be saying ‘enough is enough’ and that peace must be restored in our rural villages so that everyone, including the elderly, can live without fear,” said Nkomfa.
Among the dignitaries expected to attend the event is Mbhashe Municipality mayor Samkelo Janda and local church leaders.
