Monday, April 18, 1994
DURBAN—Slowly, Teressa Nxumalo rose to her feet. Eleanor Sidiya was next. And then, around the giant stadium, others began to follow.
“Let all those who’ve lost loved ones to political violence please rise,” the preacher said again. Dozens more people began standing.
The preacher led a prayer, and then others in the crowd of 20,000 put their arms around the bereaved. For today at least, in this city at least, South Africa was peaceful.
The rally was orchestrated by a group of churches. The purpose was to steel the faithful against the winds of civil war building in rural areas surrounding this city in the nation’s most troubled province of Natal. Violence has continued to rise in anticipation of the first all-race elections April 26-28.