Draft:Joshua Masoha

Jozua Masoha

Joshua Masoha was a black South African hunter, explorer and missionary/evangelist. His parents Barnabas and Lydia converted to Christianity at the Zoutpansberg mission in South Africa. Prior to his conversion, Joshua's father Barnabas was a renowned warrior. When Joshua grew up, he worked for the renowned hunter Barend Vorster and became a skilled hunter himself.

Dutch Reformed Church Mission to Rhodesia

In 1887 a new missionary expedition was once more sent from the Zoutpansberg under the leadership of Micha Makgato who had accompanied Gabriel Buys in an earlier expedition in 1883. The members of this party were Joshua Masoha, Zacharia Ramushu, Mikia Choene and Simon Njit (or Knight). This party reported on its return that the Shona, after having consulted their ancestral spirits, were quite willing to receive messengers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The evangelists also conveyed the following message from the Shona: "You want to come in, we are willing to receive you. If you do not come, the fault does not lie with us but with you". This message was received with great joy at Zoutpansberg. Stephanus Hofmeyr was convinced that God had answered the many prayers that the door should once more be opened. The deputation from the Zoutpansberg had been advised by the Shona first to negotiate with Lobengula regarding a mission to Mashonaland, as his opposition to such a project was greatly feared.

On the 30th of September 1887, Micha Makgato, Joshua Masoha and Zacharia Ramushu were sent off to negotiate with Lobengula. Ramushu knew Ndebele and acted as interpreter. Simon Njit and Mikia Choene planned to follow afterwards. Mikia actually followed the party to the headquarters of Lobengula. One morning a group of armed warriors asked the three evangelists whether they knew of somebody who had been following them along a different path. In the discussion which followed between Joshua and Micha, the name of Mikia was mentioned, and it was this that saved the three evangelists from death. At the same time they were informed that Lobengula had categorically refused to allow any mission to be started amongst the Shona.

In spite of this message and all it implied, three evangelists were once more sent in April 1889 to the Shona. They were, Micha Makgato, Joshua Masoha and Lukas Mokoele. The Rev. S. P. Helm who had been sent to Zoutpansberg in 1887 and had become greatly interested in a mission to the Shona, expressed himself as follows with regard to these three men: "We demand dedication; we seek absolute surrender to the work of the Lord - we can find it in these three - particularly in Micha and Joshua".

Volunteers

In 1891 Stephanus Hofmeyr asked his Zoutpansberg congregation for volunteers to join the expedition to the Shona under the leadership of Andrew Louw. Micha Makgato who had accompanied all the expeditions since 1883, Joshua Masoha who had been with them since 1887, and Lukas Mokoele who had shared the hardships and had been exposed to the dangers of the expedition of 1889, were amongst the volunteers, and along with them four others, none of whom had taken part in previous expeditions. They were the two brothers, Jeremia and Petrus Morudu who had been baptized together by Stephanus Hofmeyr at Bethesda on June 3, 1877, David Molea and Izak Kumalo.

Expedition to the Masvingo area

When the missionary expedition leadership of Andrew Louw entered Zimbabwe in September 1891, the approach followed was that of establishing a line of outposts from the Bubi river in the south up to the country of Nyajena in the north which was adjacent to the are of (Chief) Mugabe where the establishment of a mission station was being planned. Masoha accompanied Louw when they approached Togarepi who was the reigning Chief Mugabe. They are initially met with fear and suspicion but are eventually allowed to speak to the people and established a mission station (Morgenster).

The two brothers Jeremia Morudu and Petrus Morudu were posted near to each other to Matibi and Neshuro respectively. Izak Kumalo was posted to Vurumela amongst the VaHlengwe who spoke a dialect which was closely akin to Ndebele, his mother tongue. Lukas Mokoele was posted to Madzivire from whence had come the first convert Mutisikwa Madzivire who accompanied Gabriël Buys in 1870. Joshua Masoha was posted to Ruvanga. He also worked amongst the people of Musovi with whom previous expeditions had made contact. Micha Makgato was posted to Nyajena Madzivanyika. David Molea was posted to Morgenster along with Andrew Louw to assist him and act as his interpreter.

Controversy

Micha Makgato and Joshua Masoha who were labouring in the area of Nyajena were arrested and charged with having illegally shot a hippopotamus without possessing a licence. A. A. Louw and John Helm then requested that the evangelists should be released and promised that they themselves would arrange for disciplinary measures to be taken. Their request was granted and the missionaries on their side had to keep their promise. Evangelist Makgato strongly objected to the discipline to which he was subjected, pointing out that he was a pioneer missionary and that he had shot the hippopotamus because it had destroyed the crops of the people of Nyajena. Makgato then left the D.R.C., went South, joined the African Methodist Episcopal Church (A.M.E.C.) and followed a course of training for the ministry.

Legacy

Louw described him as “brave and resourceful person” who shared his experiences and knowledge of the area. When Louw fell ill with a fever, it was Masoha who nursed him. The mission (Morgester) station Masoha set up with Louw became the first DRC mission in Southern Rhodesia and the centre of DRC missionary work among the southern Shona.