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Vicar General of South Africa’s Durban Archdiocese Appointed Auxiliary Bishop

Mons. Elias Kwenzakufani Zondi appointed Auxiliary Bishop of South Africa's Durban Archdiocese on 9 March 2023. Credit: SACBC

The Vicar General of South Africa’s Durban Archdiocese, Mons. Elias Kwenzakufani Zondi, is to serve as the Auxiliary Bishop of the same Archdiocese following his Thursday, March 9 appointment, the Holy See Press Office has announced.

Pope Francis has assigned Mons. Kwenzakufani who was born in December 1963, and ordained a Priest of the Archdiocese of Durban in July 1994, the Titular See of Rutabo.

The South African Bishop-elect has been serving as Vicar General of Archbishop Siegfried Mandla Jwara since 2021. He has also been the Parish Priest of St. James Lamontville Parish of Durban Archdiocese since 2016.

He previously served as Parish Vicar of Christ the King Parish; Parish Priest of St. James Mooi River; Parish Priest of KwaKristo Umsindisi and of Our Lady of Lourdes.

As Auxiliary Bishop, Mons. Kwenzakufani will, on full-time basis, assist 66-year-old Archbishop Mandla who has been at the helm of Durban Archdiocese since August 2021 following his appointment in June 2021.

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In his statement after the appointment of Mons. Kwenzakufani was made public, Archbishop Mandla expresses gratitude to the Holy Father and calls for prayers for the success of the ministry of the Bishop-elect.

“We are very happy that after the death of Bishop Barry Wood OMI in 2017, the Holy Father has given us another Auxiliary Bishop,” the South African Catholic Archbishop says in his March 9 message, and adds, “We congratulate Monsignor Zondi on his new appointment.”

“We pledge ourselves to accompany him with our prayers in his new ministry,” Archbishop Mandla says, further says, adding that preparations for the Episcopal Consecration of the Bishop-elect will follow “in due course.”

Archbishop Mandla appealed for prayers for the Bishop-elect, saying, “Let us keep Monsignor Zondi in our daily prayers and meditation.” 

Erected in January 1951, Durban Archdiocese has an estimated 140,709 Catholic population spread across 7,840 square kilometers, according to 2021 statistics.

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Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.