Zimbabwe
FRIENDS will be sorry to hear that another of our Ingwenya elders has passed away. Mr. Cecil Sobantu, who was well over eighty years of age, had become rather frail and had gone recently to live with his son James in Bulawayo, and that is where he passed away. Mr. Sobantu lost his first wife many years ago. Their family are now married and living in their own homes. Mr. Sobantu’s second wife died a short time ago.
Mr. Sobantu frequently preached at Ingwenya when Rev. A.B. Ndebele was preaching elsewhere. He also preached at Matapa Mine, some distance from Ingwenya, where he used to spend the weekend and take the services on the Sabbath. He accompanied Rev. Z. Mazvabo to Scotland in 1986 and thoroughly enjoyed his visit. Again in 1989 he was among a party of office-bearers who came to Scotland for the Synod.
Mr. Sobantu was intelligent and well informed and his presence will be greatly missed on the Mission. He was very interested in the history of his own people – he belonged to the Fingo tribe, (as did the late Rev. J.B. Radasi and as does Rev. P. Mzamo). On one occasion, when giving talks to the pupils of the John Tallach Secondary School about the Fingoes, he told how Cecil Rhodes invited the Fingoes to come from the Cape province to Matabeleland as he knew the Fingoes were friendly towards the British and would be a help in advancing the government’s interests in Matabeleland.
At one time, Mr Sobantu took a course in animal husbandry. This knowledge proved very useful as he could deal with sickness among the cattle at the Mission and at his own home.
When last we heard from the Mbuma Hospital there were not so many patients as usual. The people were very busy in the maize fields. Sister Anne Zekveld said that there were many premature babies and it was a great joy to the nurses when the little ones began to thrive and grow apace. There was a little boy in the Childrens’ Ward who had a dreadfully injured hand. He had been bitten by a donkey. Because the donkey had been behaving in a very strange way for a couple of days, the staff were afraid it might be a case of rabies, but the tests were negative and the little boy is recovering.
They had a young woman patient who had a very swollen foot: she had been bitten by a snake. Very often the patient who has been bitten brings along the carcass of the snake for identification, as some snakes have a more poisonous bite than others and different treatments are required. People suffering from snake-bite are kept under close observation, and are treated
according to symptoms, but it is very seldom that anti-snake-bite serum is required. During the rainy season the snakes come out of their holes and care has to be taken, especially at night.
At Mbuma they are looking forward to having a hospital evangelist once more. The previous man has retired. The new man, Manford Mloyi, was a schoolteacher at Simbo near Mbuma where he regularly took services for the Simbo congregation. He expressed the desire to join the staff at Mbuma, and to give up teaching. The Church Session has examined him and they feel he is suitable for the position. We hope he will be very useful.
Miss Katie MacAulay returns to Zimbabwe on 30th April if all is well. She will be accompanied by Miss Ishbel MacCuish who will assist in the John Tallach School for three months. Miss Norma MacLean hopes to go on leave in mid-April and expects to visit her sister in New Zealand. JN
Kenya
MR. Ian MacLean, who is the Mission Administrator and Building Supervisor on our mission in Sengera, and his family are settling down well on the Mission at Sengera. He is being kept exceedingly busy between conducting services and a Catechism class on Sabbath, conducting worship every day at the Health Centre, and attending to the numerous administration tasks which require attention throughout the week, and week by week.
Mr. MacLean is no stranger to the Mission, having gone there in December 1994 for two months in order to complete the building of the Health Centre – now known as Omorembe Health Centre – and to build the church.
Both Mr. MacLean and Rev. N. Ross were glad they were able to be together for a week on the Mission for the handing-over process, before Mr. Ross returned to Scotland in mid January.
Although electricity has not yet come to the Mission, it is a relief that the new well is completed and is working efficiently. Mr. MacLean will have much extra work on his hands in building the required accommodation for the new mission staff members.
Miss Jessie Cote, matron of the Health Centre, returned to Sengera on 28th February after almost six months refreshing furlough in Scotland. Her return enabled Sister Truus Ringleberg to go on furlough to Holland for a well-earned rest. Miss Peta Van der Ridder has rejoined our mission staff and will go to Sengera in May to work in the Health Centre, God willing. It will be remembered that she used to be a nursing sister in our Mbuma Mission Hospital. Sister Henriette Burggraaf is now a permanent member of the hospital staff.
It is encouraging to hear that the numbers attending the church services, and of children attending the Sabbath School, have increased recently. Some come a long way to be present. One party comes sometimes from distant Kuria, arriving on Saturday and departing on Monday. NMR