Mhlaba Memela

The killing of historian David Rattray has forced residents of Umzinyathi district to seek divine intervention in the fight against crime.

In a show of force, thousands of people gathered at Dundee Stadium at the weekend to ask God to reduce the crime that ravages the communities and for Rattray's soul to rest in peace.

Mbagiseni Yengwa, the mayor of Umzinyathi municipality, said the government was not doing enough to curb crime.

"They talk about crime but there are no strategies to deal with it," he said.

"When things were hectic during apartheid the same leaders put their trust in God.

"They were using churches to hide. But today they have forgotten that God put us where we are."

He told the gathering that national and provincial governments had forgotten them.

"They approve acts that are totally against God's will. Recently, they passed the Same-sex Marriage Act without considering Christians' ideas. It's a disgrace to our nation," he said

Wynand Lombard of Kuick Vley dairy farm said: "I'm aware that we have lost hope because of crime. But we aneed to unite in God to fight crime. We aim to succeed in the war against crime and disease."