South African to be beatified

Daswa was brutally murdered on February 2, 1990, nine days before Nelson Mandela was released from prison. It was late afternoon. He had been giving a person with a heavy load a lift in his vehicle as there was no public transport. As he was driving home, the road was blocked with stones and logs. He alighted to remove the blockade. A rain of stones came from the bushes. He ran to the next household with all the men young and old after him. He got inside. They came and asked the woman who was in the yard but she refused to tell them where he was. When they threatened her, she pointed him out. They caught him and as he prayed “Father, receive my spirit”, they clubbed him to death. They then poured boiling water into his ears and nostrils to ensure that he was dead.

The reason for his brutal killing was that he had been a strong opponent of witchcraft. He had loudly proclaimed his Catholic faith, arguing that he could not accept the power of witchcraft. For this courage and fidelity, the Church has recognised him as a Blessed Martyr.

The representative of Pope Francis at the celebration will be His Eminence Angelo Cardinal Amato SDB, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

See the site for the celebration here