Tshimangadzo Samuel Daswa was born the oldest of 5 in 1946 in South Africa, and was a member of the Lemba people. He worked as herd boy before attending school at the age of 11. After his father’s accidental death, it fell to him to provide for his siblings. He also paid for their education and encouraged them to take pride in their studies.

The tribe followed Jewish rituals and laws but he was exposed to Catholicism through a friend. He learned about the Catholic faith every Sunday and after 2 years, he was baptized and took the name Benedict, having been inspired by Benedict of Nursia.

He became an active member and attended college to become a teacher and serve as a Catechist working with adolescents and assisting families that endured economic hardship.

He was a highly respected individual in his community and became known for his honesty, truthfulness, and integrity. He later helped build the 1st church in his area.

He married in 1974 and had 8 children. He helped with household chores which was unheard of at that time and built their home.

In 1989, heavy rains and lightning strikes plagued the area. Elders decided it was due to magic and demanded a tax to pay for a sangoma, a sorcerer, to find the witch that caused the storms. Benedict refused to take part in the occult and declined to pay the tax. One evening, while returning home, he found his path blocked by fallen trees, and while attempting to clear the road, he was ambushed by a mob of young men. After being stoned, he escaped to a woman’s house who gave up his location. He was beaten and clubbed over the head until he was dead.

His final words were, “God, into Your hands receive my spirit.”

Red vestments were worn at his funeral indicating their belief that Daswa died at the hands of attackers in hatred of his faith. His mother later converted to Catholicism. The Bishop declared that Daswa’s death “makes him a hero for all Christians in Africa, and elsewhere, who are struggling to break free from the enslavement of the world of witchcraft.”

About 30,000 people, including his family, attended the beatification at his shrine in his home village of Tshitanini in 2015. Millions followed the ceremony on television.

For God’s Glory.