The United Reformed Church of Southern Africa (URCSA) celebrated its 160th anniversary at Louis Trichardt High School's stadium on Sunday, 4 June. Representatives from the church in Gauteng and Northwest, as well as traditional leaders and dignitaries from different structures, attended the celebration, while busloads of congregants arrived for the event.
Rev Anderson Magwira said the celebration was important for the church. "From humble beginnings, we can look back today with pride and say we have made huge strides. We have achieved a lot during our 160 years of existence," he said.
"This church has worked so hard to change the lives of many people around the country. We have fought against poverty by implementing different community projects, and we are still going to make sure that the lives of our fellow human beings are improved. It is our duty to unify the nation, and we believe that we are still going to contribute more to the development of the community. Our mission is to save the spirits of human beings, but it is also important to cater for their physical needs. That is one of the reasons why our church is wholly involved in community development," Magwira said.
Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, who represented Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) president Julius Malema, who was supposed to attend the event, was accompanied by many of the party's members. He said the collective responsibility of the church, community structures and politicians was to fight against crime, corruption, and GBV and to prevent moral degeneration. "The political opposition parties are highly disappointed by the alarming crime rate, but we believe that the church will also assist us in building a crime-free country."
Ndlozi encouraged community members to blow the whistle when they notice criminal activities. He added that strong co-operation should exist between the church and the community to develop a healthy and productive nation.