THE LIFE AND TIMES OF SOLOMON NXASANA

The 1850 to 1860 years saw a flood of missionaries in the Cape Colony area and other parts of Southern Africa. It was at this time that the Methodist missionary Shaw[2] arrogantly viewed Africans as “living in the lowest state of mental, moral and social degradation. However, after they became Christians, when they were washed, decently clothed, abandoned polygamy, ceased to be robbers, became employed in industrial pursuits and bought British manufactured goods, then they were considered to have been elevated in social scale”

Most of the missionaries in the Cape Colony and southern Natal were Wesleyans from the Methodist church. In Natal the dominant missionaries were from the Anglican church because of the British rule as well as the Roman Catholic church. The Anglican missionaries were particularly active in the Zululand and northern Natal, whilst the Roman Catholic concentrated in southern Natal.

The main objective of the missionaries was to convert Africans to Christianity and introduce education. They established “missions” in some of the most beautiful parts of the country.

[1] Jurg Emil Richner-The Historical Development of the Concept “mfecane” and the writing of Early Southern African History, from 1820’s to 1920’s

[2]W. Shaw 1860, Story of My Mission, 574-75