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Peacebuilding with vocation

The great commission found in the Gospel of Matthew 28:16-20 sends all who are baptised not only to teach and to Baptise many in the world. But this is a call to invite other to be peacebuilders. We are sent to all over the world, to the community of Jesus, those who he loves dearly, to be agents of peace – not just peace, as we know that there are many kinds of peace, like the peace of the Roman Empire that came with a condition of injustice. This Peace is alien, meaning: it does not come from us, but it comes from Jesus our Lord. This Peace is a gift from God to the world. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives…” John 14:27

The question of peace or rather the absence of peace in context has been a challenge ever since I came to this parish. Ephangweni Parish is situated under Langalibalele Municipality. Its eleven congregations are found under four tribal Chiefs and seven ward counsellors. This parish finds itself in deep rural (nine congregations), township (one) and urban (one) areas.  In a context where most of the congregations are in rural areas, there are many fingerprints of injustices even in those who are in the township and in town. All my community members are heavily challenged by social, political and economical forces that eat away peace.

 

At Ephangweni Community all nine congregations in rural areas do not have access to running water, tarred roads, they are unemployment, poverty worsened HIV and AIDS, crime, corruption, etc. These are a few of the challenges of injustices in our community. How does this context affect my community? One of the biggest challenges I had to face with COVID19 is the issue of no running water and water scarcity at the time where we needed running water to keep ourselves and our homes clean. The challenge is that there is one borehole tap in the whole village of Ephangweni, other villages get water through water tankers. This means our people have to put their lives in danger and expose themselves to transmitting COVID19 as they gather as a village to gather water. These challenges are against our very constitution: the right to human dignity. There is no right to privacy like in normal households: the whole community knows when you go to the toilet, because it is outside. They know when you need water, because they see you with a wheelbarrow and water containers. This on it’s own is an injustice in my community.

We have a special school that is Funded by ELM called Kwazamokuhle Special School. The challenge is that there is no tarred road so when the parents are taking their physically disabled children, they have to carry their children on their backs and push the wheelchair with suitcases on it. This is even bad when cars drive past as they erupt dust and little stones that are harmful. This happens whilst the road that was meant for the community was built for one farmer down the road.

Last year one of the biggest companies in Estcourt, Masonite Industrial Factory, added on the eminent unemployment as they retrenched half of its worker. This meant that those who provided for families and themselves would fall back below the poverty line. Things became more tough with COVID19 as no companies were employing.

Part of my duties as village Pastor is to do celebrate Holy Communion at the homes. This is where I visit the elderly and the sick to pray with them and to administer sacraments. This is  where I am exposed to how our people are humiliated by poverty. Most of these elderly people are left with young kids to look after, because their children (parents of these kids) have died. At least there are social grants that the government is issuing to orphans and elderly people.

My arrival to this community has brought hope. This is seen when I drive around the community, members would wave at me and mostly, they would greet aloud, with smiles on their faces: “Sawubona Mfundisi” (Hello Pastor). Those smiles are the reason why I work so hard – I want to maintain their smiles! Inspired by how Jesus took people’s problems with great dignity as we see in Matthew 5.

My peacebuilding at Ephangweni Parish is informed by four pillars. These four pillars have made efforts of peacebuilding visible even in the simplest ways. The four action-based pillars are Transformation, Reconciliation, Empowerment and Advocacy (the prophetic voice of the people). My understanding of community building through peace-making is incomplete without these four objectives of peace in the context of gross injustices. Where there is no justice there is no peace!

 

Transformation

The peace of Christ transforms us. It finds us under oppression and it sets us free to be “new creation”. What I have done is to rebuild relationships between the Amahlubi king Langalibalele whom I service with Holy Communion together with his family. This led to the idea of blessing his cattle and the cattle of all men in the community. This has been one of  the most humbling experiences, to be with the shepherds in the fields preaching to them and even baptising one.

This church and tribal council relationship has led to a birth of a Lodge called Kwazamokuhle Cultural Lodge. This lodge came in a partnership between the church and Amahlubi tribal Council . We seek to employ the local people and partner with the community members. It has been operating since 2018.

Reconciliation

This has been my primary call when I arrived in this parish. When I got here I saw a deep need to reconcile people with God and people with people. This was God’s divine plan. When I had arrived in the first week, there was a shooting at the local petrol station where four local petrol attendants where murdered. Journeying with the bereaved families to court appointments was my priority. This was the pastoral call of the  church. This made people to believe more in the church.

In all the local funerals I bless and pray for the local men who have been digging the grave. This on it’s own as they bow down their heads reconciles them in prayer with God.

Empowerment

In 2018 I started a widows fellowship with widows from the community. We meet to to share experiences on their journeys and narratives about grief and overcoming it, led by them. Creating this space has led to many widows doing handiwork to feed their families. Now they do bead work and some are baking wafers for Holy Communion at KwaZamokuhle Diaconic Centre. We have in 2018 again started SONKE YOUTH CLUB where we gather the local youth to teach computer skills. We were able to get funding to give 400 families four bars of Dettol soap and a bottle of Jik (bleach) to use during the COVID-19 pandemic. We were able to get parcels from Uniliver to provide the Kwazamokuhle Special School and the senior citizens of our community with these items.

 

Advocacy

Advocacy means to amplify the prophetic voice of the people. We have led meetings and demonstrations as a parish again CANNIBALISM in 2017 where we had more that 500 demonstrators attending in a context, when this terrible occurrence was noticed with a community member. We led a demonstration against GBV (Gender based Violence) “ukuthwala kwezintombi”. We also led a march asking for the road that goes through the Kwazamokuhle Special School to be tarred, as it remains very bad to this day.

 

I have learnt in my little experience as a parish priest in this context that PEACEBUILDING needs dedication and God’s empowerment. I pray that God will continue to inspire us to do more.