South African pro-lifers will be participating in an international online conference, a drive-for-life, life chains and prayer events during the first weekend of October.
The annual National Alliance for Life (NAL) Conference hosted by Doctors for Life International (DFL) will be a virtual summit on Zoom from 9am on Saturday October 3. Speakers are Bert Doornbos (Schreeuw om Leven, Netherland), Brad Mattes (Life Issues Institute, USA), Vinita Shaw (Disha Pro-Life, India), Sandy Shoshani (BE’ad Chaim, Israel) and Dr Jean Kargia, (Kenyan Pro-Life Organisation, Kenya).
Anybody interested in attending the summit is welcome to register for free by clicking on this link, says Johan Claasen of DFL.
He says the annual national march for life in Umhlanga, Durban on the day after the conference will be a “drive for life” with people in the Durban area participating by driving to a central venue at CityHill Church in Hillcrest to meet there at 2pm on Sunday October 4. There will be a short address of about 20 to 30 minutes while people remain in their cars. Participants are urged to decorate their vehicles with signage designed not to scare people but to win hearts to the cause of valuing all life — from the pre-born to opposing gender-based violence, human trafficking, racism, rape and murder, child abuse and abortion. For more information about this event call +27 32 481 5550 or email mail@dfl.org.za
In Cape Town Africa Christian Action (ACA) will host a life chain at the traffic island in Buitengracht Street, near the entrance to the Waterfront from 2pm to 4pm on Sunday, October 4, which is International Life Chain Sunday, a day on which prolifers around the world take a stand for life.
ACA, which has been organising life chains for 28 years, will provide placards at the event, as well as prayer points to assist participants to engage in prayer as they stand and silently proclaim the truth about abortion. Pro-life leaflets and Gospel tracts will be handed out to passing motorists and pedestrians.
Children are welcome at the life chain and those who have difficulty standing can bring folding chairs. People should also bring hats and water. For more information call +27 21 689 4480 or email info@christianaction.org.za.
A life chain will also be held in Kempton Park, Johannesburg on Saturday October 3, from 11am to 12.30pm on the corner of CR Swart Drive and Kelvin Street, at Festival Mall. For more information email Nico van Zyl at nicovanzyl@gmail.com.
In an email promoting this year’s pro-life events ACA says more than 1.7 million babies have been killed through abortion in SA since February 1 1997, legally.
“We need national prayer that seeks God’s mercy and forgiveness for the national sin of abortion,” says ACA.
It also says “Through these Life Chains we pray that God will enable us to reach: mothers who are considering abortion, medical personnel who must decide whether to participate in abortions or not, Christians who need to consider volunteering to work at a crisis pregnancy centre, pastors who need to be preaching on when life begins and how we are to love our pre-born neighbours, journalists who should present the other side of the abortion story, politicians who need to enact legislation to protect pre-born babies from the violence of abortion, lives that will be saved.”