City Mission congregants take their fight to the streets
Sex abuse protesters want voices heard
The protests against sexual harassment at the Pretoria City Mission Methodist Church took another turn yesterday with church members lining up the road in protest.
Last Sunday, a small group of women took to the pulpit to protest against sexual harassment at the church, allegedly by a steward who has since been suspended.
Yesterday, young congregants and other interest groups took the protest a step further. Dressed in black, they hoisted posters proclaiming “we believe them” and “we say no to harassment”, in reference to the women who have accused the steward of sexual abuse.
They chanted “no to sexual harassment and stop sweeping things under the carpet”.
The protesters also read the memorandum before the church service.
Yesterday’s church service was moved from the church’s premises in the Pretoria CBD to a larger venue at the Voortrekker Monument for a special covenant service, with members coming from various branches in Gauteng.
The large group of young people, both male and female, formed a line on either side of the road leading to the venue as congregants and church elders drove in.
Before the service got under way, the group moved into the church and waved their placards in the packed venue.
Dineo Ledwaba, who was part of the protest, said it was tradition in the church to wear black on Thursdays in support of women and children, saying the programme was moved to yesterday.
“This was to show solidarity with the victims of sexual harassment, to protest against any form of predatory [behaviour] and also to say to the church ‘heed the call from the youth’. We are not rowdy or disruptive, we just want to be heard,” he said.
Another protestor, Katlego Mogase, said the timing of intensifying the protest was critical as the Covenant service was a symbol of “re-giving oneself to God”.
Mogase said the protest was about demonstrating to the church that they were aware of sexual harassment allegations and that they could no longer keep quiet.
“We are pleased with the warmth with which church leaders and the congregation as a whole received the protest. We were given that space and support,” Mogase said.
District bishop of the church Themba Mntambo said they will comment about the matter today.