Women host prayer walk for peace

A women’s group are call the end to a taxi strike “a small relief”.

Baphi Abafazi, a women's organisation that fights gender-based violence, held prayer meetings in Nyanga on Thursday, August 10, a day after Women’s Day and a day before the strike ended.

Women, dressed in black, from across the city joined in the special prayer walk, visited communities in conflict, spoke out against the on-going taxi war and shared the stories of people who are faced job losses because of the violent strike, which cost the lives of four people.

Baphi Abafazi member Lindiwe Macingwane said the women, who called for a peaceful resolution of the crisis, had gathered on street corners and prayed before heading to Nyanga bus terminus, while singing hymns and seeking divine intervention following the killings.

The next day the strike ended.

Mam’uMcingwane said the end was a small relief because they are not sure what would happen next.

“I must say, after the prayer, we felt relief. God helped us. But I must say that we are not fully happy. There are still threats by the taxi organisation that are doing rounds. But we will continue to pray. We do not want to see what we saw, blood, destruction of resources, including schools and clinics, vandalism and looting. We had enough,” she said.

The strike which lasted for eight consecutive days was called off late on Thursday evening by Santaco after negotiations. Another member from Nyanga, Nobeka Ngxukuma called for a peaceful resolution to all crises. Ms Ngxukuma criticised strikes that took people’s lives. She called on the taxi industry to do things peacefully.

“We are not against any strike but it must be peaceful. We are against taking of lives, torturing of people, torching of our resources and looting. That is why we have decided to make a call to all women to stand up, like the 1956 women, when they marched to Pretoria,” she said.

She commended women for speaking out and encouraged them to speak out more on issues that affect the community.

The return of taxis was also a relief to the street vendors in Nyanga. Those who spoke to Vukani said they were overjoyed with the end of the strike because their businesses were suffering.

“I would hate to see this happen again. We lost business. I am sure there are some who will never come back,” said one vendor, who didn’t not want his name printed.