Rev. Malinga inducted as the first Female Presiding Bishop (Sunday, 17 November 2019)
One of the major Key Performance Area (KPA) of the Pan African Archives (PAA) is collection development. The methods used to achieve this KPA are through donations, bequests and purchasing of liberation struggle of archival materials as well as dialoguing with the nation. On the 10 October 2019 a dialogue was conducted with Rev. Malinga. This dialogue focused on the struggle for equality in ordination of women in churches with specific reference to the Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA). During this Women’s Month PAA, from it’s wealth of information, has found it befitting to introduce to the public this dialogue.
Recording for this interview is available in the Pan African Archives
Rev. Malinga has created history by holding the office of Bishop for several years and being elected as a Presiding Bishop of Methodist Church of Southern Africa (South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique and Swaziland) that represents a membership of three million strong denominations. Having endured the cross and discrimination of patriarchy for over 200 years, women of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA) have finally entered through the patriarchal structures by the election of the first Presiding Bishop who is a woman.
She was born and raised in the small rural town of Ixopo (Natal ) and initially trained as a teacher and taught at Siyakhona Primary School, Ixopo for five years before she entered the ministry in 1981. Malinga holds a Masters of Divinity from Harvard University (1992) and she previously served as the Deputy President of the South African Council of Churches, the Chairperson of the KZN Council of Churches, a member of the Diakonia Council of Churches and also a lecturer at the Federal Theological Seminary and John Wesley College.She has been serving the Methodist Church as the Director of Education Mission and Ministry Unit for the last 3 years.She holds a Masters of Divinity from Harvard University (1992) and she previously served as the Deputy President of the South African Council of Churches, the Chairperson of the KZN Council of Churches, a member of the Diakonia Council of Churches and also a lecturer at the Federal Theological Seminary and John Wesley College.
She stressed that much as she was being nominated as a first Presiding Bishop, this does not mean that patriarchy is dead.
Affectionately known as the Mother of the Nation or Ma Sisulu, she was best known for her role as an anti-activist struggle heroine and the wife of Walter Sisulu. Her demeanour was one of absolute humility and an unassuming manner that belied her strength as a leader who exuded quiet resilience in the face of great adversity and hardships through years of persecution. Through it all she remained steadfast and resolute unfaltering in her quest for a liberated and non-racial South Africa. Her most famous quote: “Your behaviour is the best teacher, it is more powerful than anything you can say!”
She holds a special place of honour among South African leaders and one that is worth celebrating.
