Diocese of Mthatha, South Africa 🇿🇦

Continent: Southern Africa

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Mthatha / Umtata / Umtatan(us) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Durban

Neighbouring Dioceses: Queenstown (←), Aliwal (↖), Qacha’s Nek (↑), Kokstad (↗)

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Our Lady Assumed into Heaven

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1930.03.30: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Umtata / Umtatan(us) (Latin) (from Apostolic Vicariate of Mariannhill)
1937.04.13: Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Umtata / Umtatan(us) (Latin)
1951.01.11: Promoted as Diocese of Mthatha / Umtata / Umtatan(us) (Latin) (became suffragan of Durban)
1952.02.07: Lost territory to Diocese of Queenstown

Contact Info

Address: Bishop’s House, 19 Craister Street, PO Box 85, Mthatha 5100, South Africa

Phone: (047) 532 6301

Present Prelates

Bishop:	vacant
Apostolic Administrator (2026.03.14 – ...):	Bishop Thulani Victor Mbuyisa, C.M.M. (53) Bishop of Kokstad (South Africa)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Mthatha (Roman Rite)

Bishop Thulani Victor Mbuyisa, C.M.M. (53)
(Apostolic Administrator 2026.03.14 – ...)

Bishop Sithembele Anton Sipuka (65) (later Archbishop)
(2008.02.08 – 2026.01.09)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Town (South Africa)

To care and to work

Born:	1960.04.27 (Idutywa, South Africa)
Ordained Priest:	1988.12.17
Consecrated Bishop:	2008.05.03

Priest of Queenstown (South Africa) (1988.12.17 – 2008.02.08)

Bishop of Mthatha (South Africa) (2008.02.08 – 2026.01.09)

Second Vice-President of Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (2010.10 – 2016.01.28)

Vice-President of Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (2016.01.28 – 2019.02)

President of Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (2019.02 – 2025.01)

First Vice-President of Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (2019.07.19 – 2022.08.01)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Town (South Africa) (2026.01.09 – ...)

Bishop Oswald Georg Hirmer
(1997.04.21 – 2008.02.08)

Ego sum vobiscum

Born:	1930.02.28 (Amberg, Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1955.06.29
Consecrated Bishop:	1997.06.28
Died:	2011.03.05 (Durban, South Africa † 81)

Bishop of Mthatha (South Africa) (1997.04.21 – 2008.02.08)

Apostolic Administrator of Aliwal (South Africa) (2004.04.29 – 2007.12.19)

Bishop Fritz Lobinger
(Apostolic Administrator 1995 – 1997.04.21)

Bishop Andrew Zolile T. Brook
(1979.02.12 – 1995.01.07)

Born:	1929.11.22 (Fort Cunningham, South Africa)
Ordained Priest:	1957.12.08
Consecrated Bishop:	1979.05.05
Died:	2011.09.05 († 81)

Bishop of Mthatha (South Africa) (1979.02.12 – 1995.01.07)

Bishop Peter Fanyana John Butelezi, O.M.I. (later Archbishop)
(1975.07.10 – 1978.04.27)

Dominus incrementum dat

Born:	1930.07.25 (Newcastle, South Africa)
Ordained Priest:	1957.07.07
Consecrated Bishop:	1972.10.22
Died:	1997.06.10 († 66)

Apostolic Administrator of Umzimkulu (South Africa) (1968.01.08 – 1972.07.30)

Titular Bishop of Elephantaria in Proconsulari (1972.07.30 – 1975.07.10)

Auxiliary Bishop of Johannesburg (South Africa) (1972.07.30 – 1975.07.10)

Bishop of Mthatha (South Africa) (1975.07.10 – 1978.04.27)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Bloemfontein (South Africa) (1978.04.27 – 1997.06.10)

Bishop Ernst Heinrich Karlen, C.M.M. (later Archbishop)
(1968.09.26 – 1974.05.09)

Born:	1922.02.01 (Törbel, Switzerland)
Ordained Priest:	1947.06.22
Consecrated Bishop:	1968.12.03
Died:	2012.10.28 (Bulawayo, Zimbabwe † 90)

Bishop of Mthatha (South Africa) (1968.09.26 – 1974.05.09)

Bishop of Bulawayo (Zimbabwe) (1974.05.09 – 1994.06.10)

President of Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (1975 – 1977)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Bulawayo (Zimbabwe) (1994.06.10 – 1997.10.24)

Bishop Joseph Grueter, C.M.M.
(1951.01.11 – 1968.09.26)

Born:	1896.12.04 (Ruswil, Switzerland)
Ordained Priest:	1927.06.29
Consecrated Bishop:	1941.05.22
Died:	1976.03.02 († 79)

Titular Bishop of Badiæ (1941.04.03 – 1951.01.11)

Vicar Apostolic of Umtata (South Africa) (1941.04.03 – 1951.01.11)

Bishop of Mthatha (South Africa) (1951.01.11 – 1968.09.26)

Titular Bishop of Ammoniace (1968.09.26 – 1971.03.03)

Vicars Apostolic of Umtata (Roman Rite)

Bishop Joseph Grueter, C.M.M.
(1941.04.03 – 1951.01.11)

(see above)

Bishop Emanuele Hanisch, C.M.M.
(1937.04.13 – 1940.02.28)

Born:	1882.01.04 (Stara Łomnica, Poland)
Ordained Priest:	1908.07.04
Consecrated Bishop:	1937.06.29
Died:	1940.02.28 († 58)

Prefect Apostolic of Umtata (South Africa) (1930.10.28 – 1937.04.13)

Titular Bishop of Gor (1937.04.13 – 1940.02.28)

Vicar Apostolic of Umtata (South Africa) (1937.04.13 – 1940.02.28)

Prefects Apostolic of Umtata (Roman Rite)

Fr. Emanuele Hanisch, C.M.M. (later Bishop)
(1930.10.28 – 1937.04.13)

(see above)

Fr. Luigi Mohn, F.S.C.I.
(1926.12.10 – 1930)

Died:

1939

Prefect Apostolic of Umtata (South Africa) (1926.12.10 – 1930)

Fr. Daniele Kauczor, F.S.C.I.
(1923 – 1926)

Died:

1926

Prefect Apostolic of Umtata (South Africa) (1923 – 1926)

Diocese of

Mthatha

South Africa

Celebrations

History

Contact Info

Present Prelates

Ordinaries

Special Churches

Statistics (2022.12.31)