All-nations prayer gathering calls out to God over gender-based violence and femicide

Christian and community leaders and victims of sexual violence sought God’s mercy together last Saturday in an all-nations prayer service against gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa and neighbouring states.

The event was inspired by the Lord as she spent intimate time with Him while deeply troubled by a sense of society’s powerless at dealing with moral decline accompanied by an escalation — especially during the Covid-19 lockdown — of rape, violence against females of all ages and femicide, said Dr Fay Nqoloba, CEO of Warrior Woman of the Kingdom and Talitha Cumi Foundation.

She said as she was feeling hopeless about the failure of various past protests and interventions aimed at dealing with the problem, together with a rise in divorce, substance abuse, and cases of fathers, brothers and uncles and even churchmen raping and abusing women and children, she was led to chapters 1 and 2 of the Old Testament book of Habbakuk.

She said she realised that the root of the problem was demonic and as she searched further scriptures, God spoke to her through Isaiah 33 2-12 in the Good News Translation and she realised she needed to arrange a Zoom prayer meeting with the theme of “Lord have mercy on us” to deal with the problem of gender-based violence and femicide “not only in South Africa but across the borders”.

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She said the Lord laid on her heart people from all over SA and from neighbouring countries who she should invite to lead different facets of the prayer meeting. She had to search for the contact details of some of the people who she hadn’t been in contact with for up to seven years.

She said the prayer conference provided a powerful opportunity for participants to share and pray in a holistic way through the problem with every person on the programme, from Apostle Hazel Ngcanga of East London, who ushered in the presence of Jesus before anybody opened their mouths, to a powerful opening message by Bishop Fino Dlamini, heartrending testimonies of victims of abuse, segments on repentance and restoration, a hopeful closing declaration by Vuyokazi Matu and every other contribution by participants on the programme or from the floor.

Since the prayer conference she has received invitations from several leaders in different areas to partner with them “and the journey is continuing”, said Nqoloba/

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