Criminals target churches

Over the past three weeks, there have been reports of robberies during religious services in both Cape Town and Pretoria.

Cape Town: At least three church robberies were reported in Goodwood recently. While these incidents didn’t occur during Sunday morning services, they happened in the evening during the week. Mostly cellphones and jewelry were stolen in these cases. Pretoria: During a religious conference at a resort north of Pretoria, armed men stormed an Africa Evangelical Church venue, demanding personal belongings from congregants. The incident turned violent, and several congregants sustained injuries.

In another incident, a pastor in Gugulethu was robbed of his cellphone at gunpoint at the entrance to his church. Efforts to enhance security and vigilance are crucial to protect congregants and clergy. Some churches are considering locking their doors once worshippers are inside, although this presents challenges due to the open nature of churches.