[ad_1]
SENEKAL – Dozens of Christians prayed for peace and unity Wednesday in a small South African town shaken by racial tensions after white farmers stormed a court where two black suspects were on trial for the murder of a 21-year-old farm manager.
Black, white and mixed-race worshipers held hands, sitting side by side on the bleachers of an agricultural exhibition arena in Senekal during lunch prayers.
The sleepy town made international headlines after protesting farmers stormed the hearing last week.
One of the suspects had been arrested 16 times before the last arrest for the murder earlier this month of Brendin Horner, according to Police Minister Bheki Cele.
Cele visited the city on Tuesday and met the family of the murdered farmer.
On Wednesday, worshipers, some waving banners, gathered to pray that tensions did not escalate further on Friday when the trial resumes.
One banner featured a biracial handshake with a caption reading “Brotherly Love.”
Another, written in English, Afrikaans and Sesotho, read “Love everyone, dare to love farmers.”
READ: Fears that planned protests in Senekal could end in chaos
“We are here to pray for Senekal and to pray for our nation,” said John Mathuhle, 39, a black pastor of Christian Revival Church in the city about 300 kilometers south of Johannesburg.
Mathuhle said that what was supposed to be a “peaceful” protest by farmers in front of the court sadly “did not end well.”
“So as a result of that, we had a lot of racial tension.”
“We only pray for peace. The civil war will not start in Senekal and that is what we are here to say, no to civil war, no to racism, no to agricultural slaughter.”
Pearl Kupe, a lawyer who drove from Pretoria for the prayer session, said “it is very important that South Africa stands together at this time.”
He said that South Africa faces a general murder problem and that it must be addressed as such.
“We should not specifically categorize it to say that the problem is against farmers,” he said.
READ: Ramaphosa: Senekal opened old wounds
He called on the political parties not to explode the tensions, which he warned that they could sow “more division and more struggles.”
EFF leader Julius Malema warned Tuesday that he would mobilize his supporters to descend on Senekal on Friday when the two defendants return to court.
“We are going to face white men head to head,” Malema said in Johannesburg two days after he tweeted a photo of a rifle.
‘Little spark’
The alleged instigator of last week’s court riots, businessman Andre Pienaar, is in custody and faces charges of public violence, attempted murder and incitement.
He also faces a possible charge of terrorism, according to the prosecution.
Jean Labuschagne, 37, who grew up in Senekal but now lives in the nearby city of Bethlehem, dissuaded people from meeting in court on Friday.
“It only takes one tiny spark to ignite an entire forest fire,” he said. I will encourage people to stay home. “
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday tried to ease tensions in post-apartheid South Africa.
“The murders on the farms are not ethnic cleansing,” he said in a weekly newsletter. “They are not genocidal. They are acts of criminality and should be treated as such.”
