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Kingdom Proclaimers Report

Races United in South Africa!

IMBALI is a black township just outside Pietermaritzburg, Natal, in South Africa. When the two Imbali congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses were granted a piece of land, the elders in the white and the Coloured congregations in Pietermaritzburg immediately met together to plan how they could help their black brothers build a Kingdom Hall in the shortest possible time. Although the building work stretched out over nine months, it actually took only 48 working days to complete the work, which was mostly done on Saturdays.

To the local residents of Imbali, the construction of this Kingdom Hall demonstrated something that they must have thought impossible. Imagine scores of white, Coloured, and Indian Witnesses pouring into the township from Pietermaritzburg and Durban and working shoulder to shoulder with the black African congregations! (Compare Zephaniah 3:9.) Men, women, and children were all passing material and equipment from one to another, and eating meals at a common table. Such racial unity is unheard of in an African township, especially in this time of unrest! Surely, this is an indisputable evidence that Jehovah’s Witnesses are a united people who really care for one another.

Commenting on this unity, one neighbour said: “Seeing whites, blacks, Coloureds, and Indians working so harmoniously together has amazed us. We do not experience such cooperation in our churches.” The mayor of Imbali, Mr. Pakkies, attended the dedication of the hall on November 10, 1985, and expressed astonishment at the unity and the determination of the Witnesses to complete such a large project by themselves. He summed up how they did it by declaring, “It can only be done with love.” How true! And did not Jesus himself say: “By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples”?​—John 13:35, The Jerusalem Bible.

With the end of the present system of things fast approaching, Jehovah’s Witnesses throughout South Africa are aware of the need to build Kingdom Halls in the black townships and rurals as soon as possible. The first Kingdom Hall in Soweto was dedicated in February 1985. Several others are in the process of being built. Of the 700 congregations in the black field, about 70 have their own Kingdom Halls, so there is a tremendous need to be filled. The Imbali hall is helping to fill that need. It provides seating for 400 persons, who, in comfort, can take in the vital spiritual food being served there. Yes, in such centers for Bible education, lovers of righteousness are learning how they can survive the end of this system of things to gain life in God’s new system where all races of mankind will live forever as one united family!