The Central Methodist Mission in Johannesburg was once perceived to be the flagship of the Methodist Church in Southern Africa. The massive, six-floor building was religiously clean with devoted spaces, unsoiled floors, and a hushed sanctuary. This is no more. In recent times, it has opened its doors to provide shelter for those who cannot find roofs elsewhere. Many of the needy individuals are foreign nationals, mainly Zimbabweans. After South Africa ‘hosted’ the xenophobic attacks of 2008, some 3000 people sought nightly refuge at bishop Paul Verryn’s church. Since then, as SA hung its head in collective shame, this number has halved - more than a thousand individuals still sleep in the hallways, on the stairs, on the floors of the church each night. On the streets, rumours of rape, abuse, corruption and violence are flung at the church. “That place,” a taxi-driver tells me, “it is Gomorra on earth!”.
Showing posts with label Xenophobia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Xenophobia. Show all posts
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Dhoya Snijders:The Building of Borders
The Central Methodist Mission in Johannesburg was once perceived to be the flagship of the Methodist Church in Southern Africa. The massive, six-floor building was religiously clean with devoted spaces, unsoiled floors, and a hushed sanctuary. This is no more. In recent times, it has opened its doors to provide shelter for those who cannot find roofs elsewhere. Many of the needy individuals are foreign nationals, mainly Zimbabweans. After South Africa ‘hosted’ the xenophobic attacks of 2008, some 3000 people sought nightly refuge at bishop Paul Verryn’s church. Since then, as SA hung its head in collective shame, this number has halved - more than a thousand individuals still sleep in the hallways, on the stairs, on the floors of the church each night. On the streets, rumours of rape, abuse, corruption and violence are flung at the church. “That place,” a taxi-driver tells me, “it is Gomorra on earth!”. 
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