MEDIA RELEASE
To All Editors
For immediate release
15 August 2011
Heritage Indaba commemorates a 150-year legacy
The National Heritage Council’s Chief Executive, Sonwabile Mancotywa, joins the
celebration of the Southern African Methodist Church at their Heritage Indaba that will be
held at the Oceanic Hotel in Durban. Adv Mancotywa will address the delegates from the
Southern African region as a keynote speaker on 17 August 2012, 11h00. He will explore the
theme: Learning from the past, moving to the future. His talk will also touch on the role of the
religious communities in the liberation heritage of South Africa.
The Methodist Church of Southern Africa Heritage Indaba will also commemorate the 150th
anniversary, marking the commencement of mission work amongst the indentured Indians in
Natal. This Heritage Indaba seeks to ‘reclaim, recapture and celebrate Methodist history,
heritage and legacy’ within its six southern African countries that make up this church.
The Indaba will commence on Thursday 16 August and culminate with the Commemoration
worship service on Sunday 19 August at the Mobeni Heights Methodist Church in
Chatsworth.
Papers will be presented capturing the history and heritage of the MCSA which commenced
in Cape Town in 1795, Eastern Cape in 1820, Natal in 1842 and thereafter spreading to
other parts of the country including Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Swaziland and
Lesotho.
Ends.
Issued by:
Contact:
The National Heritage Council – www.nhc.org.za
Danny Goulkan (Marketing & Communications Manager)
072 952 2260/ danny@nhc.org.za
Enquiries:
Illa Thompson, Tel 031 2011 638, illa@pubmat.co.za
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Editor’s note: Media is welcome to attend
HISTORY
The Methodist Church of Southern Africa this year commemorates 150 Years of the Indian
Missions in Natal which commenced in 1862. Together with this auspicious celebration, the
Church also remembers other special milestones in the Methodist historical narrative: 175
years of celebration at the Somerset West Church in Cape Town, the Thaba ‘Nchu Mission
in the Free State, and the 150th anniversary of the printing of the Xhosa Bible at Mt. Coke.
Rich in heritage and boasting historical content, Methodism was originally introduced to
South Africa by British soldiers stationed at the Cape in 1795.
The Rev. Barnabas Shaw arrived in 1816 and laid the foundations of the Methodist pillars
which would see the start of works at Lily Fountain in Namaqualand. Mission work thereafter
advanced throughout the Cape and into modern Namibia.
With the 1820 settlers who arrived at Port Elizabeth, was the Rev. William Shaw, who
established a ‘chain of mission stations’ along this south eastern region of our sub-continent
into the former Transkei. Amongst these were: Wesleyville, Mt. Coke, Butterworth, Mt.
Morley, Clarkebury, Buntingville, Shawbury … These names tell of sacrificial service, of
vulnerability in the face of danger, and of courageous witness in areas regularly ravaged by
wars; but the missionaries persevered and their perseverance was rewarded.
Crossing the Orange River from the Cape in 1823, were the Revs. Samuel Broadbent and
Thomas Hodgson who established mission work amongst the Barolong at Maquassi.
Unsettled, the Barolong and their missionaries wandered until they arrived at Thaba 'Nchu in
1833 where they established numerous stations in the Free State and Diamond Fields. The
Rev. James Allison was to advance our work into Swaziland.
The Rev. James Archbell came to Durban in 1842 to establish our witness. With the later
arrival of numerous British settlers, Methodism spread to all parts of Natal. In 1847 the Rev
Allison with a group of Swazi converts commenced our African work at Indaleni, which later
led to the formation of the Nzondelelo movement that continues to support evangelists in
KwaZulu Natal to the present day.
A unique feature of the Methodist work in Natal was the mission to Indians who were
imported as indentured labourers from India in 1860. The Rev. Ralph Stott, who had worked
in Sri Lanka and was fluent in Tamil, established the mission in 1862 and spent his last 17
years in a strenuous ministry that bore little fruit at the time, but laid the foundations of a
small but faithful Christian community. His son, the Rev. Simon Horner Stott continued the
work, together with a succession of Indian evangelists and ministers and this led to the
formation of three Indian Missions in Natal. Notably amongst these were the Choonoo’s,
father and sons in Durban and Verulam, and the Rev. John Thomas in Pietermaritzburg. The
Indian work no longer exists as a separate entity but Christians of Indian descent, play their
part in a number of non-racial circuits.…………………………………………………………….
Natal was the springboard from which Methodism entered the Transvaal. From 1871
ministers were appointed to Potchefstroom and Pretoria and numerous churches were
established in various places. The return to Swaziland was led by the Rev. Daniel Msimang
some 35 years after he went into exile with Rev. Allison.
Since 1850, Methodist mission work in Mahikeng was established and maintained by
Molema, the first member of the chiefly family converted at Thaba ‘Nchu. From here
Methodism spread to Botswana.
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Another lay person Robert Mashaba took Methodism back to his home country,
Mozambique. After being prevented from entering Lesotho for many years, our Methodist
witness was established there in the 1920’s.
Methodists were present as new villages, towns and cities were established throughout
Southern Africa; and new preaching places, Societies and Circuits were opened. Many local
people heard Christ’s call to proclaim the gospel. Among them were Jacob Links in
Namaqualand, Molema who ministered among the Barolong of Botswana, David Magatha at
Potchefstroom, Hans Aapje among Makapan’s people, Samuel Mathabathe in
Sekukhuniland, Robert Mashaba at Delagoa Bay, and in the Indian Mission John Choonoo,
Isaac Chinnasami, Moses Boloo and Billy Christopher, to name but a few.
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