Armed Robbers Storm Durban Church: 60 Worshippers Targeted in Terrifying Gunpoint Heist
In a brazen assault on faith and safety, two masked gunmen shattered the peace of an evening prayer service at a Durban church, robbing dozens of terrified congregants—including children—of their mobile phones before vanishing into the night. The shocking incident at Zayoni Kingdom Catholic Church in Waterloo has left the community reeling, amplifying South Africa’s growing crisis of church robberies and sparking urgent calls for enhanced security at places of worship.
The Harrowing Hold-Up: What Unfolded at Zayoni Kingdom
The robbery struck like lightning on Friday, September 19, 2025, around 9 p.m., as about 60 worshippers gathered for a routine evening prayer at Zayoni Kingdom Catholic Church in Waterloo, a suburb north of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal. Eyewitnesses described the gunmen, clad head-to-toe in black, bursting through the doors with firearms drawn, their faces obscured by masks.
“They ordered everyone to stay down and hand over their phones,” recounted Prem Balram, spokesperson for the Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA), the rapid-response team that arrived post-incident. The robbers methodically collected 46 mobile devices, stuffing them into a plastic bag as screams echoed through the small sanctuary. Miraculously, no shots were fired, and none of the congregants—including young children—suffered physical injuries.
The assailants fled the scene swiftly, though it’s unclear if they escaped on foot or in a vehicle, as initial investigations suggest no immediate getaway car was spotted. RUSA teams scoured the area but recovered no devices or suspects by Saturday morning, with police now leading a manhunt.
Background: A Disturbing Pattern of Sacrilegious Crimes
This isn’t an isolated act of desperation—it’s part of a chilling escalation in attacks on South African churches, where criminals increasingly target evening services when congregants are most vulnerable. Just last month in Mpumalanga, three armed suspects stormed a service in Mkhuhlu, Calcutta, firing shots and stealing cellphones, cash, and car keys from worshippers, prompting a business robbery probe.
Earlier in August, five gunmen in Klipfontein, eMalahleni (formerly Witbank), tied up and robbed dozens during prayers, kidnapping some to extract PIN codes before dumping them in the bush. And in KwaMhlanga’s SunCity A, six robbers hit another night vigil on August 29, looting valuables in a similar gunpoint frenzy. These incidents echo a broader trend: The Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Rights Commission reported a surge in 2024, with evening sermons in Cape Town and Pretoria turning into crime scenes.
Experts link the rise to South Africa’s sky-high unemployment (over 32%) and inequality, making easy targets like distracted worshippers prime for quick scores. Churches, often cash-heavy from tithes and in under-policed areas, have become “soft targets,” as Acting Mpumalanga Police Commissioner Maj-Gen Zeph Mkhwanazi warned.
Community Outrage and Official Responses
The Zayoni robbery has unleashed a torrent of grief and fury across social media and local forums, with #ChurchRobberySA trending as congregants shared videos of the chaos. “How can we pray in peace when evil walks in uninvited?” one worshipper posted on Facebook, capturing the collective trauma.
Church leaders are mobilizing: The South African Council of Churches (SACC) condemned the attack as “an assault on our spiritual sanctuary,” urging members to install CCTV and partner with private security. Pastor Bert Pretorius of the South African Community of Faith-based Fraternals and Federations (SACOFF) called it “moral decay,” demanding national reforms beyond just arrests.
Mpumalanga’s Jackie Macie, MEC for Community Safety, echoed this, advising churches to vet attendees, use alarm systems, and form usher patrols—measures already saving lives in some parishes. Police have opened a robbery docket, but with no arrests yet, frustration mounts.
The Human Toll: Fear in the Pews and Calls for Change
For South Africans, these robberies strike at the heart of community and culture—churches aren’t just buildings; they’re lifelines in a nation where faith binds families amid daily hardships. In Durban’s townships like Waterloo, where poverty bites deepest, evening services offer solace, but now they breed anxiety: Parents hesitate to bring kids, and attendance dips as fear festers.
Economically, the loss of 46 phones—valued at thousands of rands—hits hard for low-income families reliant on them for work and remittances. Broader ripples? Eroding trust in institutions fuels emigration talks and strains police resources, already stretched thin with a 2025 crime rate up 5% year-on-year.
Politically, it spotlights government failures: Opposition parties blast the ANC for lax policing, while faith groups lobby for “sanctuary status” laws mandating church protections. Tech solutions like community alert apps are gaining traction, but experts say root fixes—jobs, education—remain elusive.
A Prayer for Protection: Safeguarding Sanctuaries Amid the Storm
The Zayoni Kingdom robbery, leaving 60 souls scarred but unbroken, underscores a painful truth: In South Africa, even prayer isn’t safe. As investigations grind on and communities huddle closer, the onus falls on leaders to fortify faith’s frontiers—with cameras, guards, and grit. Yet, amid the outrage, voices rise in unity: “We won’t let fear steal our worship.” For Durban’s faithful and beyond, this church robbery in South Africa serves as a stark wake-up call, demanding action to reclaim evenings of peace from the grip of gun-wielding,