The Thulamela mayor, Cllr Mushoni Tshifhango, and religious leaders of the area led by example on Tuesday and took the fight against the killings, attacks on women and children and other crimes to another level when they led thousands of residents in a march around Thohoyandou.
The march included reprresentatives of different faiths and even Indians, who were blamed for being behind ritual killings of late, attended in numbers. The exercise was aimed at conscientising the community about these ills that have become so rampant in the area.
Many people have disappeared and some of them have later been found killed; so many ritual murders have taken place, as well as the destruction of property in the name of (mob) justice and, lately, the attack on Indians and their businesses in Thohoyandou, which brought the town to a standstill.
Speaking at the start of the march at the Thohoyandou Indoor Centre, Tshifhango said they were concerned as leaders about the social ills in the area and felt something should be done to stop the scourge. "Reports of missing people, abuse of women and children and ritual murders have become a common feature of our daily lives. When we started this morning, we received a report of another person killed at Khubvi. We cannot keep quiet as things are and pretend as if nothing is happening," he added.
Tshifhango said he was satisfied that the message had reached many and that many had heeded the call and participated in the March.
Representing the muslim community, businessman Zubair Patel said they were also very disturbed about what was happening, more specifically the killing of innocent people for ritual purposes. "We are here to make a statement that we are also very disturbed about these killings. The Muslim community abhors the killings and we distance ourselves from these heinous crimes."
Bishop Mungoni Muhali said it was important that people come together and make others aware of the ills society is facing. "We are here to show the country that we are all affected and concerned about what is happening and we will pray for God's intervention," she said.