Peace, Unity, and Love Amid Unrest
BLACKS, whites, Indians, Coloureds, and visitors from other countries enjoying Christian fellowship together in South Africa, the land of apartheid! For a few hours? No, for four days. How many—a few hundred? No, over 77,000! Where? At two special conventions in Johannesburg and Durban, December 26-29, 1985. It was a thrilling, never-to-be-forgotten experience.
This was part of a world-wide series of special conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses with the theme “Integrity Keepers.” By the tens of thousands they streamed to these two centres by train, bus, automobile, and plane from all parts of South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, and even from strife-torn Mozambique.
Hundreds also came from Europe, the United States, Japan, and St. Helena, the little island of the Atlantic, making a total of 24 countries. On arrival they were warmly welcomed by local Witnesses—black, white, and brown—and escorted to their accommodations.
The place for the convention in Johannesburg was the National Exhibition Centre. Situated to the southwest of the city, it is a large, modern complex of exhibition halls, with pleasant lawns, trees, and promenade areas—ideal for a large convention attended by a multilingual crowd. Groups of delegates speaking Zulu, Sotho, Tswana, English, and Afrikaans each had a large hall, while the Portuguese and Greeks used smaller halls. All enjoyed the same programme. During the sessions the majority naturally assembled with their own language group, but before, between, and after the programme, all races and nationalities found joy in warm association.
Many of the foreign visitors, staying as they did in white areas, to their surprise saw no unrest. Said a German delegate: “It was just the opposite of what we expected.” All were especially delighted to find such peace and unity at the conventions. “Just look at all the races mingling together,” said a U.S. delegate attending the Johannesburg convention. “I wish,” he added, “that a film could be taken of this and shown on American TV.”
The other convention was held in the famous port and seaside resort of Durban, a predominantly English city that is also home to many Indians. The place of assembly was the King’s Park sports complex situated near Durban beach. Two adjacent stadiums were used, one for Witnesses speaking Zulu and the other for those speaking Xhosa (including Pondos) and those speaking English (including hundreds of Indians and Coloureds).
Did peace and unity reign there too? Said a Xhosa woman, not a Witness, who travelled 600 kilometres (370 mi) to attend the convention: “It’s amazing that here in South Africa people of all races can be so united. It’s so different from what I am used to in the churches.” “This is beautiful,” commented a young Indian woman. “To see Coloureds, Indians, whites, and blacks all mixing together has changed my whole outlook on life.”
Overcoming Problems
Accommodating white visitors in hotels and white areas was fairly easy. Arranging accommodations for many thousands of blacks in Soweto, the huge black complex west of Johannesburg, where the situation is explosive, was not. The Witnesses of Soweto responded generously. Some homes had up to 20 visitors staying for the convention. However, at the end of the first day of the convention, bus drivers from distant places refused to take their passengers into Soweto. (Many buses have been burned there during the unrest). So that night many had to sleep in their buses. They accepted the situation uncomplainingly. By the next night, other arrangements had been made, and all were suitably accommodated.
The Johannesburg Witnesses were also very glad to see so many from Cape Town. A round trip by bus between these two cities is 2,864 kilometres (1,780 mi). Some blacks and Coloureds earn very little. How could they afford such a trip? A mixed-race bus committee was able to arrange a fleet of 26 buses at less than half the usual rate. Even so, the sacrifices made by some, such as widows with families, to attend the convention were amazing. Regarding unity, the committee chairman said: “In the last few weeks the Cape peninsula was racked by unrest. But we had black, Coloured, and white Witnesses riding in the same bus in complete harmony.”
This contrast of peace and conflict was also manifest in Durban. The day before the convention began, there was fierce fighting between Zulus and Pondos only a few miles from the Durban area. Press reports said: “At least 58 people died in a Christmas Day battle between 2000 Zulus and 3000 Pondos.” Not far from the convention site, there was another incident during the convention itself. A mob of blacks, armed with knobkerries (clubs), attacked Indians relaxing on a beach, causing panic.
Convention Joys and Thrills
In Johannesburg the attendances from the start far exceeded expectations. In the English hall 6,000 seats were set out but 8,942 attended. Many brought their own folding-chairs. For the first day the combined attendance for the two conventions was 59,996; for the final session an amazing 77,830! The food service, too, was overwhelmed at first and ran short of supplies.
But there was no shortage of spiritual food. The fine Scriptural talks, the serious and heart-searching admonition to keep integrity in these evil times, the special counsel for the young folks, the thrilling dramas that brought tears to the eyes of many, were all deeply appreciated.
It was thrilling for all racial groups to meet and hear the delegates from other countries. Their messages of love and unity from their brothers at home were applauded with great enthusiasm. Members of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses, who attended both conventions, gave spirited talks that were a joy to all. Then there was the release of new publications. It was thrill after thrill!
The baptism was a real highlight. In Johannesburg, judging from previous results, it was expected that some 400 would be immersed. But, instead, 921 new Witnesses symbolized their dedication to Jehovah by baptism. For them and for the large crowd that witnessed this multiracial baptism, it was an experience they will never forget. A large group of black Witnesses spontaneously singing Kingdom songs in harmony added further radiance to the occasion. The total baptized at the two conventions was 1,363.
Appreciation and Gratitude
The conventions gave the Witnesses the rare opportunity of mingling freely regardless of race. For example, in Johannesburg, because of the huge crowds, children were sometimes separated from parents. One night a few black children were left behind. They were handed over to white Witnesses staying in trailers nearby. Lovingly, the children were bathed, fed, and put to bed. Next morning they were handed back to their grateful parents!
White Witnesses helped five black congregations of East London by arranging for a special train to take them to Durban and back. On arrival the train was shunted into a siding near the convention site. It was allowed to remain there, and its several carriages became their accommodations for the whole period—very convenient and much appreciated!
A bomb scare at the Durban convention site brought a state security officer to investigate. It was a false alarm. Later he said to a white Witness: “I’m so impressed with the way you people promote peace. I heard you say ‘brother’ to that black man there. You people know how to do it.” After the convention, the ground manager of King’s Park said to the convention overseer: “I’m impressed with the thoroughness of your organization. No other organization leaves the stadium as clean as you do. I never have any doubt that it will be returned spick and span.”
In Johannesburg black security guards were also very happy with the peaceful atmosphere. One said: “We’ve never had such an easy job during such a large gathering.”
For many blacks at the Johannesburg convention it was their first time ever to associate with white Witnesses. Commented a black elder: “It was an absolute thrill.” “I’m very, very happy,” remarked a black Witness from Zambia. “I’ve never attended such a convention in my life.” It was a living example of Jesus’ words: “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.”—John 13:35.
The contrast between local unrest and Christian peace and unity was striking. To express publicly their appreciation and determination to do even better in the future, the following declaration was read and enthusiastically accepted at both conventions.
“We, Jehovah’s Witnesses attending the ‘Integrity Keepers’ conventions at Johannesburg and Durban, South Africa, on December 26-29, 1985, wish to express our deep gratitude to Jehovah, our heavenly Father, for such a rich spiritual feast of enlightenment and encouragement. We warmly appreciate the presence of the delegates from 24 other countries, who demonstrate the love and unity of the worldwide brotherhood of Jehovah’s people. We are grateful that in spite of serious problems and unrest in this country, as in other countries also, our conventions have proceeded peacefully, and we delight to have fellowship with our brothers and sisters of all the major racial and language groups of South Africa. We are determined to strengthen the bonds of love and association, irrespective of race or colour, to press on with increased zeal with the preaching of the good news of the Kingdom in this troubled land, and to maintain our integrity to the honour of Jehovah’s name.”
To most people today, the future looks grim and hopeless. But not to Jehovah’s Witnesses. With the light of Bible prophecy shining ever brighter, they can see the end of this wicked system of things fast approaching. To survive that cataclysm into the new system under God’s Kingdom will be a privilege even greater than that of Noah and his family who survived the Flood. (Zephaniah 2:3) Would you like to be among the survivors? Then join the happy international brotherhood now worshipping the only true God, Jehovah.
“And it must occur in the final part of the days that the mountain of the house of Jehovah will become firmly established above the top of the mountains, and it will certainly be lifted up above the hills; and to it all the nations must stream. And many peoples will certainly go and say: ‘Come, you people, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will instruct us about his ways, and we will walk in his paths.’”—Isaiah 2:2, 3.
[Pictures on page 7]
Top: Two full-time ministers—the black witness is 101 years of age
Bottom: African delegates in colourful garb
[Picture on page 8]
Delegates enjoying a session at the Durban convention
[Pictures on page 9]
Top: New arrivals carrying their luggage, African style
Bottom left: Carrying her baby, African style
Bottom right: One lends support as the other checks his case
[Picture on page 10]
Total baptized, 1,363
[Picture on page 11]
Two Japanese conventioners rejoice with their fellow Witnesses