The experiences of the first indigenous Catholic priest in South Africa : Fr Edward Muller Kece Mnganga, 1872-1945

Abstract

The article presents a case study of the first indigenous Catholic priest in South Africa, Fr Edward Mnganga, who was ordained in 1872 and died in 1945. James Scott’s concept of ‘public’ and ‘hidden transcripts’ is briefly highlighted to showcase the discrepancies in the opinions of the missionary and the indigenous clergy in South Africa. Then, some background on Fr Mnganga is given, leading up to his ordination in 1898 in Rome. His work in Zululand is critically examined using oral history methodology. In this process archival and oral sources are critically analysed to access the ‘hidden’ aspect of the story. The article then tries to evaluate the causes of the problems which Fr Mnganga experienced in the early years of his ministry and briefly relates this to the present context.