An
example of an “ordinary” man, whose love of Christ was so great, he was willing
to battle against the evils of his day.
BL.
BENEDICT DASWA
(his full name was Samuel Tshimangadzo, meaning miracle or wonder) was born in 1946 the eldest of five children, four sons and one daughter, in the small village of Mbahe
about 20 kms from Thohoyandou, the capital of the old Venda “Homeland” in the
Province of Limpopo. Limpopo is a
South African province bordering Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It's known
for bushveld and wildlife reserves, including part of Kruger National Park.
West of the Kruger are the craggy Blouberg mountains and Makgabeng Plateau with
ancient rock art. Near the provincial capital Polokwane are the fossil-rich
caves of Makapansgat dating back to early hominids
Venda is often referred to as “the land of a hundred streams”
because of its fertile land and good rainfall. It is a scenically beautiful
part of the country with its rolling hills and deep valleys, its lush
vegetation and areas of raw, rugged landscape. It was one of the ten tribal
areas called Homelands or Bantustans where Africans had limited self-government
over areas such as education, health, courts, police, prisons and social
services. The Homelands comprised less than fifteen percent of the country.
They were one of the main pillars of the racist apartheid system which became
government policy in 1948 when Benedict was only a two years old.
His
family belonged to the Jewish Lemba tribe in rural Limpopo, the northernmost
province of South Africa. He grew up observing Jewish customs, then converted
to Catholicism and was baptized in the Church at the age of 17. He took the
name Benedict after the sixth century monk and after Benedict Risimati, his
catechist who instructed him in his faith as a teen. His birthday immediately brings to mind the uprising against the Apartheid government in 1976 in which many young people lost their lives. It is now kept as a public holiday called Youth Day.
At
first glance, what strikes one most about Benedict Daswa is how ordinary he
was. He came from a family that was poor but not destitute. Like many boys in
rural South Africa at a young age he became a herd boy before going to school
and eventually becoming a teacher and a school principal. He was the father of
eight who helped build a parish.
The
reality is that for those who knew him well, while he was just an ordinary
young man in so many ways, he was also an extraordinary man. He was an
exceptional human being. He was a deeply committed Christian totally in love
with the Lord Jesus Christ and with the human family.
He
lived a saintly life and died a martyr’s death. Father Benoit Gueye MSC, the
parish priest of Thohoyandou, calls Bl. Benedict a role model, “I am always
saying to the people here ‘don’t forget that from among you God chose a role
model for all Christianity. From this far place, that’s where God went and
picked his role model. This was a simple man who was a witness to Jesus in the
world and was willing to die for that.”
The
Church has now added Benedict Daswa to this growing list of modern Saints and
Martyrs in Africa. Like the Martyrs of Uganda, Benedict has left us many good
lessons for the moral formation of our members and especially the Catholic
youth. He is also an inspiration to the wider society in which many people are
struggling for inner liberation from the fear and suffering caused by the
practice of witchcraft.
In
January 1990, the Venda area of northern South Africa experienced unusually
heavy rain and lightning. Lightning struck a number of huts in the area,
prompting the headman of Mbahe village to convene his council to discuss their
concerns, as many villagers did not regard this as a natural phenomenon.
Benedict was secretary to this council, but was not involved in the discussion.
The council concluded that someone had to be responsible for the erratic
weather and that therefore, a traditional healer had to be consulted in order
to identify the culprit. A financial contribution of five South African rands
was required from all the villagers to pay the healer’s consultation fee. At
the time, Benedict was headmaster of a primary school, a position which
in many rural settings in Africa commands great influence and respect. He spoke
out against the witch-hunt and refused to pay the fee, immediately earning
himself enemies.
On
the evening of February 2, 1990 (the same day that South African President F.W.
de Klerk announced the unconditional release of Nelson Mandela from prison),
Benedict was attacked by a mob of young men while trying to clear a road
of fallen trees. The mob began stoning the car he was driving and injured him.
The bleeding saint escaped on foot and found a house to hide him, but
eventually the owner of the house, fearing for her safety, revealed his
whereabouts to the mob. Having found Benedict, the violent crowd sang and chanted
while taunting him, beat him up with clubs, poured boiling water on him, and
left him dead. His final words, reportedly, echoed those of Christ on the
Cross: “God, into your hands receive my spirit.”
About
30,000 people, including Blessed Daswa's eight children and his 91-year-old
mother, attended the beatification at his shrine in his home village of
Tshitanini, more than 100 miles northeast of Tzaneen. Cardinal Angelo Amato,
prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, concelebrated the Mass
with many bishops and priests.
Millions of Catholics in Africa are believed to have followed the ceremony on
television. Daswa is the first South Africa-born Catholic to be beatified.
Bishop Joao Rodrigues of Tzaneen praised Dawsa (using his full name), saying
that "by his courage and his fidelity to the Catholic faith, Tshimangadzo
Samuel Benedict Daswa is a model for all the people in Africa."
Pope
Francis declared February 1 as Blessed Benedict Daswa's feast day.
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