June 2013 - Department of Defence

eventsS A S O L D I E RYouth reclaimThaba Tshwane for GodBy Mr Lufuno NetshirembePhotos: Sgt Elias MahumaThe concept of celebrating YouthMonth came about to paytribute to the youth of 16 June1976 who perished at the handsof the police who were obeyingthe orders of the state ideologyof the time.On 29 June 2013 the youth of churchesin Thaba Tshwane held a march notonly to advertise their presence, butto encourage the other non-churchedand non-religious youth. They wantedto publicise the message that therewere churches in Thaba Tshwanethat all the young people were freeto join. This was an attempt to takethem away from their wayward livinginto a Christian lifestyle. In essencethe Thaba Tshwane youthmarch was an effortto reclaim the area forGod and the march wascharacterised by praise andworship of God.ABOVE: Col (Rev) Kingsley Masemola, Chief Chaplain of the SAArmy and Senior Staff Office (SSO) Chaplain Service SA Army,preaching the Word of God during the Thaba Tshwane Youth Daycelebration.Col (Rev) KingsleyMasemola, ChiefChaplain of the SA Armyand Senior Staff OfficeChaplain Service SAArmy, confirmed thatthe march was aimedat reclaiming ThabaTshwane from the plagueof drugs and immoralitythat was terrorising theyouth and to pray forthe former President, MrNelson Mandela. Col (Rev)Masemola said: “We believe that themoral degradation in Thaba Tshwanecan be countered by spiritual andethical means. This is a deliberateattempt to tell the youth that theycan look to the church for help anddeliverance.”ABOVE: The youth dance group from Petra Life Church entertains theaudience with their choreographed dance moves.Church youths who came together tobe part of this day and to entertainthe audience were VoortrekkerHigh School drummers who playedAfrican musical instrumentsto create fusion sounds as incontemporary music, the HerbergDancers who performed a Christiandance and the New Apostolic Churchof God which mesmerised theaudience with poetry. Other youngchurch groups were from the PetraLife Church, Rock Ministries and theAfrican Gospel Church.J U N E 2 0 1 3 • 47