Mpumalanga’s MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Jackie Macie, is calling on church leaders across the province to beef up security measures and tighten safety protocols to better protect both themselves and their congregations.

This appeal comes in the wake of a spate of robberies targeting places of worship in

Bushbuckridge and Kwamhlanga. Two businesses linked to churches were robbed within the

Calcutta policing precinct during services, while a third incident took place at Kwamhlanga

during a night vigil on Friday, 29 August 2025, at approximately 23:00.

Speaking on the matter, Macie urged churches to take proactive steps to safeguard their

premises

“The recent attacks are a clear indication of moral decay in our society. We must all work

together by reporting suspects to the police,” Mr Macie said. “These three robberies show

that more still needs to be done to secure our communities. Our men and women in blue must remain undiscouraged in their efforts to bring perpetrators to justice.”

He added that churches should not view these incidents in isolation but as a call to always strengthen safety measures, particularly during night services and large gatherings.