Mthatha

Province of Durban
Patroness: Our Lady Assumed into Heaven

RIGHT REVEREND
BISHOP SITHEMBELE SIPUKA
Appointed Bishop of Mthatha on the 8th of February 2008 and ordained Bishop on the 3rd May 2008 at Mthatha.

Postal Address:
PO Box 85, Mthatha 5100.
Chancery: 19 Craister Street,
Tel: 047 532 2914
Fax: 047 532 6301
Email: ssipuka@worldonline.co.za/
bishop@mthathadiocese.co.za

Coat of Arms and Motto

To care and to work

Predecessors

1. Right Rev Bishop Emmanuel Hanisch (1930 – 1940), died 28 February 1940. Joseph Grueter (1941 – 1968), resigned November 1967, died 2 March 1976.
2. Right Rev Bishop Henry Karlen (1968 – 1974), transferred to episcopal see of
   Bulawayo on 15 August 1974.
3. Right Rev Bishop Peter Butelezi (1975 – 1978), transferred to Archepiscopal see of
   Bloemfontein on 6 August 1978.
4. Right Rev Bishop Andrew Z Brook (1979 – 1995) resigned 26 January 1995, died 05
   September 2011.
5. Right Rev Bishop Frederick Lobinger (appointed Apostolic Administrator) 26th January
   1995 to 28th June 1997.
6.  Rt Rev Bishop Oswald G Hirmer was appointed Bishop of Mthatha on 28
   April 1997 and was ordained Bishop on the 28th June 1997 at Ikwezi Lokusa Grounds.
   Retired 8th February 2008, died 04 March 2011.

History of the Diocese

Prior to 1922, the territory formed part of the Natal Vicariate and from 1922 to 1930 part of the Mariannhill Vicariate under Bishop Adalberto Fleischer. On 31 May 1930 it was made a Prefecture and in April 1937 a Vicariate.
The ecclesiastical territory of the Diocese of Mthatha (Umtata) comprises the following civil districts: Mthatha, Libode, Ngqeleni, Port St John’s (Mzimvubu), Mqanduli, Elliotdale (Xhora), Cala, Ngcobo (Engcobo), Tsolo, Qumbu, Mount Fletcher, part of Matatiele with the Kenera river as boundary Elliot and Maclear (Nqanqaru), Eastern Cape.