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Pope Francis Appoints Vicar Apostolic for South Africa’s Ingwavuma Vicariate

Mons. Vusumuzi Francis Mazibuko, appointed Vicar Apostolic for the Apostolic Vicariate of Ingwavuma in South Africa. Credit: SACBC

Pope Francis has appointed Mons. Vusumuzi Francis Mazibuko as the new Vicar Apostolic for the Apostolic Vicariate of Ingwavuma in South Africa. 

The appointment of the member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) was made public on Monday, March 20 and published by the Holy See Press Office.

The South African Apostolic Vicariate became vacant in June 2021 following the transfer of Archbishop Mandla Siegfried Jwara to the Archdiocese of Durban.

At the time of his appointment, Mons. Mazibuko has been serving as the Parish Priest of St. Mary's Catholic Church Pietermaritzburg in the Archdiocese of Durban.

Born in May 1965, Mons. Mazibuko joined OMI in 1990. He started his formation at St. Joseph's Theological Institute (SJTI) in Cedara, South Africa. He made his perpetual vows in February 1995 and was ordained a Priest in April 1996.

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He holds a Licentiate in Spirituality from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.  

As a Priest, Mons. Mazibuko has served as a Parish Vicar, Chaplain and lecturer at St. Joseph’s Theological Institute (1999-2002) and the Provincial of the O.M.I. Province from KwaZulu-Natal.

Once Consecrated a Bishop, Mons. Mazibuko will serve as the fifth Vicar Apostolic of the South African Vicariate that was erected in November 1962 as the Prefecture Apostolic of Ingwavuma. 

The 12,369 square kilometer Prefecture was elevated to an Apostolic Vicariate in November 1990.

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.