WASHINGTON (BWA) — Baptists in South Africa have come to the aid of those displaced by ethnic violence.
More than 60 immigrants from other countries have been killed and almost 700 injured in violence that erupted in Johannesburg, Cape Town and other cities over the past three weeks. Immigrants are accused by some of the country's citizens of taking away jobs and housing from South Africans.
Dave Stemmett of the Baptist Refugee Centre in Cape Town said, “We started to get desperate calls from people linked to our ministry,” about the needs of persons who have been displaced. He reported that there are “1,500 displaced refugees on the streets near our local rail station.”
Several churches are housing persons displaced by the violence. “At present we are housing and feeding around 250 people in three venues,” Stemmett reported. After government authorities opened camps, “many of the people in our care were bussed to these places. We were able to close down a number of our more temporary shelters as well as those in more vulnerable areas.” Approximately 10,000 persons have been bussed by the government into a camp outside Johannesburg.
But facilities used by the refugee center are being strained. “We need to come up with long term solutions,” Stemmett said. “It is winter in South Africa and very cold and wet in Cape Town right now,” he said. The Baptist Refugee Centre is trying to get churches in South Africa to adopt displaced migrants.
The Baptist Union of South Africa appealed to its congregations to assist pastors “who are currently ministering to the victims of the violence.” The BWA member body, in an open letter “to all BUSA churches and fellowships,” stated that the pastors “are fulfilling an important biblical role and need your support.”