Peter Butt, who has assisted with Kingdom Hall construction for over 18 years, is chairman of the Gauteng Regional Building Committee. He pointed out that brothers on these committees are usually working men with families, yet they gladly sacrifice much time in behalf of their brothers.

Another member of a regional committee, Jakob Rautenbach, explained that committee members usually work on-site during the whole construction period. In addition, they are involved in all the planning before construction starts. He enthusiastically described the happy, cooperative spirit among the volunteer workers. They travel to the site, which is sometimes a long distance away, at their own expense.

Jakob said that many other brothers gladly donate their time and resources to the Kingdom Hall building work and gave this example: “Two fleshly sisters with their own transport company arrange to move our 13-meter [40-foot] container of equipment to building sites throughout the country​—and even to neighboring countries—​and they have been doing this since 1993. That works out to a sizable donation! Many companies we deal with are moved to make donations or to give us discounts when they see what we are doing.”

Volunteers of various races would enter the townships, escorted by the local brothers. Some volunteers were attacked by angry mobs. During the construction of one hall in Soweto in 1993, a violent mob threw stones at three white brothers as they traveled to the Kingdom Hall site with building materials. All the windows in the vehicle were smashed, and the brothers were injured. They managed to keep driving and got to the site. The local brothers then rushed them to a hospital via a safer route.

Work on the project was not delayed. Precautions were taken, and hundreds from all races worked on the site the following weekend. Local pioneers shared in street witnessing in the territory around the hall. If they detected any trouble, they warned the brothers on the site. A few days later, the injured brothers were well enough to return to work on the hall.

The congregations appreciate the dedication shown and the sacrifices made by the brothers who volunteer to work on Kingdom Hall construction. Over a period of 15 years, Fanie and Elaine Smit, often traveling long distances at their own expense, have helped 46 congregations to build their Kingdom Halls.

One congregation in KwaZulu-Natal wrote to the Regional Building Committee: “You missed your sleep, the pleasure of being with your families, your recreation​—and much more—​to come here and build a hall for us. Besides that, we know that you also sacrificed a lot of your own money to make the project a success. May Jehovah remember you ‘for good.’​—Nehemiah 13:31.”