Yosefa Mhalamhala: Chosen Vessel for God’s Mission among the VaTsonga in Mozambique

Abstract

This article provides a historical perspective as it tries to resuscitate the life of Yosefa Mhalamhala as well as illuminate his vision that has been lost.  The reasons for this effoers are threefold: firstly, Yosefa Mhalamhala was an unknown citizen until the day he announced the gospel to the Mozambicans in 1880;  Secondly, he was the first evangelist to be consecrated and sent as a missionary to Mozambique, with the specific mandate of establishing the bases for a future implantation of a Swiss Protestant Mission in Delagoa Bay, Mozambique; and thirdly to show that despite having done good work that produced a positive impact and succeeded in establishing three spiritual centres that were recognized both nationally and internationally, the name of Yosefa Mhalamhala is still not known by the majority of the members of the Igreja Presbiteriana de Moçambique (IPM). The article concludes by exposing the silence of the IPM on the good missionary work done by Mhalamhala. Even though the church chose to remain silent about his missionary work, he was God’s vessel in missionary work to the Tsonga people of Mozambique.