Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As we look at the current state of our nation, our hearts are heavy. South Africa is grieving. The ongoing tragedy of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) continues to claim the lives of women across our communities, and a recent spate of mass shootings has brought deep sorrow to our provinces.
We mourn the devastating loss of lives in Ekurhuleni, where the bodies of several young women have been discovered. These are not statistics to be scrolled past; they are daughters, mothers, sisters, and friends created in the image of God. Their lives are precious, and their loss is an incalculable grief to their families.
We also bear witness to the terrifying violence that has erupted across the country over the past few weeks:
• In KwaMakhutha, Durban: An attack on a home left eleven dead, including a pregnant mother, and several others wounded.
• In Wedela, Johannesburg: Armed men took the lives of seventeen people at a local tavern, leaving behind immense trauma and injury.
• In Lwandle, Cape Town: Just hours later, a brutal attack at a local shisanyama claimed ten more lives, taking place just a few kilometres from Christ Church Strand.
As the Body of Christ, we cannot simply look away. The Scriptures remind us that our God is a God of justice and compassion. Isaiah 1:17 calls us to “learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” We also rest on the promise of Psalm 34:18, that “the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Therefore, I am calling on every local church, congregation, and fellowship within REACH-SA to dedicate Sunday, 11 October 2026, as a day of unified prayer. Please set aside time in your Sunday gatherings to bring these specific petitions before the Lord:
• For Victims and Grieving Families: Pray for the God of all comfort to draw near to the families mourning in Ekurhuleni, KwaMakhutha, Wedela, Lwandle, Tshwane, and throughout our nation. Pray for healing for the wounded and peace for the traumatized.
• For Law Enforcement and Justice: Pray for those tasked with keeping our communities safe. Ask God to grant our police officers and investigators wisdom, courage, and integrity as they carry the heavy burden of responding to these crimes and protecting our streets.
• For Truth and National Integrity: Give thanks for the ongoing work of the Madlanga Commission in exposing criminality and political interference. Pray that truth will continue to come to light, and that true accountability and righteousness will be restored within our justice system.
• For the Church: Pray for ourselves. Ask the Lord to make our local churches safe havens for the vulnerable and bold voices against domestic abuse. Pray that we would be agents of His peace and hope in our troubled communities.
May the Lord show mercy to South Africa. May He heal our land, establish justice, and turn the hearts of the violent toward the saving grace of Christ.
In Christ, our refuge and our peace,
Siegfried Ngubane
Presiding Bishop