SOUTH AFRICA: NATIONS PAUSES AS THOUSANDS PRAY FOR RAIN TO RELIEVE DISASTROUS DROUGHT

Record ID: 343087

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: NATIONS PAUSES AS THOUSANDS PRAY FOR RAIN TO RELIEVE DISASTROUS DROUGHT
  • Date: 19th January 1966
  • Summary: 1. GV STREET IN JOHANNESBURG 0.03 2. GV WOMEN LEAVE BANK 0.08 3. GV BANK DOORS CLOSED 0.11 4. GV & CU..NOTICE ON CLOSED DOORS (2 SHOTS) 0.16 5. LV CLOSED DOORS 0.20 6. LV & SV..DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH (2 SHOTS) 0.26 7. SV & GV'S..MEN AND WOMEN ENTER DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH (3 SHOTS) 0.37 8. GV METHODIST CENTRAL HALL AND S
  • Embargoed: 3rd February 1966 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: JOHANNESBURG -- SOUTH AFRICA
  • Country: South Africa
  • Reuters ID: LVA3EDQSMVMVUKT5B0L4EZCD97AN
  • Story Text: SOUTH AFRICA HAS BEEN HIT BY THE WORST DROUGHT IN LIVING MEMORY, AND YESTERDAY (TUESDAY), THE NATION PAUSED AS THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE CROWDED INTO CHURCHES, TEMPLES AND MOSQUES TO PRAY FOR RAIN.

    NON-ESSENTIAL SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY WERE STOPPED TO ALLOW WORKERS TO PRAY. IN JOHANNESBURG, MANY BIG COMPANIES CLOSED THEIR OFFICES, AND A LARGE CHAIN OF DEPARTMENT STORES CLOSED FOR AN HOUR DURING THE AFTERNOON WHILE CHURCH SERVICES WERE BEING HELD.

    WHILE A SERVICE WAS RELAYED OVER THE RADIO, THOUSANDS OF SOUTH AFRICANS CROWDED INTO CHRISTIAN CHURCHES OF ALL DENOMINATIONS, MOSQUES AND HINDU TEMPLES. THEY PRAYED FOR RELIEF FROM THE WORST DROUGHT OF THE CENTURY, WHICH HAS RUINED VAST AREAS OF THE COUNTRY'S BEST FARMLAND. HUNDREDS OF WORKERS AT AN ABATTOIR STOPPED WORK FOR HALF AN HOUR FOR TWO SEPARATE SERVICES -- ONE FOR WHITES AND ONE FOR AFRICANS.

    A FEW HOURS AFTER THE SERVICES, RAIN FELL OVER MANY PARTS OF SOUTH AFRICA. THE RAIN HAD BEEN FORECAST BY WEATHER EXPERTS WELL BEFORE THE DAY OF PRAYER, BUT IT WAS MOSTLY LOCALISED AND DID NOT HELP THE WORST HIT DROUGHT AREAS. THE LATEST INDICATION OF THE PRICE SOUTH AFRICA WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THE DROUGHT CAME YESTERDAY WITH AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THE COUNTRY WILL HAVE TO IMPORT GBP4 MILLION WORTH OF MAIZE. SOUTH AFRICA IS NORMALLY A BIG EXPORTER OF MAIZE.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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