Celebrating 160 years DIOCESE OF NATAL ANGLICAN CHURCH OF SOUTHERN AFRICA IziNdaba Issue 82–16th August 2013 www.anglican­kzn.org.za ‘STAND UP AND WALK’ –‘SUKUMA UHAMBE’ Acts: 3:6 We offer you this week (still women’s month) the remarkable story of Manche Masemola, a 20th century African martyr. The author, Millicent Kuzwayo, is a member of our diocese. She wrote this piece at my invitation. +Rubin THE MARTYR MANCHE MASEMOLA OF SEKHUKHUNE Manche Masemola lived with her parents, her two brothers, a sister and her cousin Lucia in Ga-Marishne village, and she never went to school. She was about 13 years old when she and Lucia heard Fr. Augustine Moeka CR, preach at St Peter’s Anglican Church Ga-Marishane. Inspired to hear more, she requested her parents’ permission to attend the hearer’s classes at the church. Her parents did not see any problem in this, and they allowed her to do so, but they insisted that she had to participate in the traditional Pedi initiation school. When Manche’s interest in Christianity persisted, she and her cousin were sent away from Ga-Marishane (which was close to the church), to Vlakplaas, as it may be known to some. This did not stop her from going to church and she and Lucia would sneak out into the fields, change into better clothes, hide the ones they had on and run to, church on their way back home,they would change again. It is not known exactly what the real bone of contention was, except that Manche seemed to have been spending a lot of time going to church rather than working in the fields, thus angering her mother. This led to her being severely beaten by her parents whenever she had been to church, as a means of discouraging her from that. Lucia recalls Manche saying: ‘I am going to obey my parents and work for them as hard as I can with my hands. What I will not do is turn away from the church’ (Goedhals 2002: 30). In October 1927 Fr. Moeka prepared the girls for baptism and confirmation. The group decided that on that day they would be dressed in western clothing. Manche retorted to that citing her wish to stick to her traditional dress. Fr. Moeka told her that she would not be baptized then, and her response was: ‘Then I will be baptized with my own blood!’ (Mason 2006: 33). Manche died on the 4th of February 1928 at the hands of her parents and she was buried in Vlakplaas next to Ga-Phahla. Shortly after her death, her younger sister Mabule died, apparently due to shock, and she was buried next to Manche. Nathaniel Masemola claims that Manche’s crime was Christianity - a religion her traditional parents did not support. Manche has been declared a Martyr in the Anglican Church and her statue adorns the walls of the Westminster Abbey in London, amongst the top ten martyrs of the 20th century. She has become one of the first South African women to be remembered in the form of a relic. This is very rare practice so far, and Professor Mandy Goedhals has this to say on this matter: ‘Statues of women (apart from Mary of Nazareth and Queen Victoria) are relatively rare, yet two Christian women with South African ties have been remembered in this way. A statue of an Anglican nun and nursing pioneer, Sr. Henrietta CSM&AA, was erected on the lawns of the Cathedral Church of St Cyprian the Martyr in Kimberly in 1979. Placed on the west font of Westminster Abbey in London in 1998, along with statues of other 20th century martyrs, is a young African woman, Manche Masemola, who died in Sekhukhuneland in 1928 and is recognized as a martyr for Christ’ (Goedhals 2002: 25). Manche’s story has a “happy ever after” ending, not being a fairy tale though, but a true story and she has to be viewed as a pioneer for inculturation, and she was assertive an attribute not understood by some Africans to date. I will conclude with these words: ‘Though illiterate, she was capable of making decisions: she had resources for resistance, although not based on any clear theoretical or analytical understanding of her circumstances. She was not passive, nor could she be easily silenced (Stratton 1994: 172). Defiant and persistent, she was ultimately feared and terribly punished. Although she was excluded from power, her choices had political, economic and social consequences in her community’ (Goedhals 2002: 37). Manche is amongst the South African women who have fought oppression to the extent of sacrificing their lives. I therefore feel that it is appropriate to commemorate this young maiden during the month of August, which is Women’s Month in South Africa. Incidentally the pilgrimage to Manche Masemola’s grave is always held on the first Sunday in August, instead of February because of the wet weather conditions in Limpopo. Millicent Kuzwayo (Ngwana ´Masemola) FROM Dr. Ken Chisa Diocesan Archivist : Dear Bishop Rubin, Thanks for sharing Millicent Kuzwayo’s “The martyr Manche Masemola of Sekhukhune”. From a purely theological perspective, this is a moving story of a South African teen martyred in 1928 at the hands of her own family, which disapproved of her desire for baptism. Manche’s profile models a faith based on allegiance to God that is more radical than a cursory command to obey one's parents. I was impressed with how Manche’s story talks to "today’s" up and coming women. This is a story for women who are young in physical years but seasoned in faith. It is definitely a story I would recommend for the younger generation of women (e.g. St. Agnes) and other young ladies, to inspire them to be bold for God. I also liked how the story makes one dig deep into one’s own faith. Manche’s story can be used as a group study material to make contemporary Christian girls/young women think about whom they want to become and where they themselves are headed in their faith. In the end, Manche’s story shows that at any age a person can be bold, courageous and give everything for their faith. An awe-inspiring story! Thanks baba, Ken BISHOPS DIARIES: Bishop Rubin: Sun 18 08:00 Newlands, St Peter’s – Confirmation & Lay Ministers. Mon 19-23 RTI Commission of Enquiry, PMB. Holy Trinity – Hillcrest. Tue 20 Executive, St Peters’, Greytown. Wed 21Leadership, Parish of Ntuzuma. Thu 22 Leadership, Cathedral. Management, Cathedral Centre. Sun 25 VOCATION SUNDAY 09:00 St Paul’s, Durban – Confirmation. 14:00 St Aidan’s, Durban – Confirmation & Baptism and Patronal Festival. Bishop Nkosinathi: Sun 18 Pinetown, St John the Baptist – Confirmation Service. Tue 20 0900 - KZNCC 4th Assembly – St Philomena, Durban. Wed 21 KZNCC 4th Assembly – St Philomena, Durban. Thu 22 0900 – SEA Archdeaconry Meeting – St Luke, Woodlands. Sun 25 St Matthew, Hayfields - Confirmation & Licensing of Lay Ministers. Bishop Tsietsi: Sun 18 St John, Steadville – Confirmation. Tue 20 09:00 KZNCC Assembly, St Philomena. Wed 21 KZNCC Assembly, St Philomena. Fri 23 17:00 St Andrew’s – Madadeni, Parish Council. Sun 25 Greytown, St Peter’s – Confirmation. DIOCESAN WEBSITE: The Diocesan Website has been rebuilt from scratch, hence the prolonged delay. We are currently uploading information onto the website as it comes. The website will be launched soon. We would appreciate your support and patience. Bongie. iziNdaba: REMEMBER: Any information and news for inclusion in the iziNdaba should be sent to the office of the Bishop at: [email protected] . Bongie. GREEN COLUMN: Genetically Modified (GM) Food/Genetically Engineered (GE) Food A number of churches in our Diocese are following the themes of the Social Justice Season organised by Diakonia Council of Churches which focusses on creating life-affirming communities. This past Sunday (11 August) had the theme, "Caring for Creation." In her sermon, my colleague, Revd. Sue Brittion, focused on the first reading of Genesis 1:24-31and spelt out the dangers of genetically modified seeds. This reminded me of a Diocesan Synod resolution we passed in 2003, entitled "Food Security, Biodiversity and Biotechnology." In it the dangers of the unnatural process of the genetic modification (GM) or genetic engineering (GE) of food (these terms are often used interchangeably) were pointed out. I quote from one section of this resolution: "Expressing our concern that the Genetic Engineering (GE) of food: 1. Threatens food security and biodiversity; 2. Leads to the removal of control of food production from local communities and farmers to multinational corporations, and so jeopardizes the ability of communities to meet their food needs through culturally appropriate and equitable ways; 3. Discourages local communities and farmers from continuing to save, exchange, nurture, use and further develop biological resources on which their livelihoods are based – for the benefit of themselves, ecosystems and of future generations; 4. Undermines the regenerative systems of agriculture and sustainable use of biodiversity, impoverishing local communities and condemning other living organisms to accelerating extinction." In concluding her sermon, Revd. Sue Brittion, gave some suggestions on what we could do: "Our gospel message for today has Jesus pointing the way forward: ‘Where your treasure is, there will your heart be.’[Gospel reading was Luke 12:22-34] Instead of worrying anxiously, Christ’s challenge to us is to take the actions necessary to bring life back to planet earth, our only home. We need to campaign for the food that we buy to be clearly labeled. We need to refuse publicly to buy GM food. We need to pressurize governments to stop this death-dealing way of making a profitable industry out of the very food that God’s children – all of them – need to eat and live life in all its fullness, as intended since creation.