Bonifatius Haushiku

Bonifatius Haushiku or Hausiku (25 May 1932 – 12 June 2002) was a Namibian Roman Catholic religious leader.

Early years

Haushiku was born in Sambiu on 25 May 1932.[1] He attended St. Josef's Teacher Training College in Döbra and St. Teresa's Minor Seminary and St. Augustine's Major Seminary in Roma, Lesotho.[1]

Career

In June 1966, Haushiku was ordained at a priest. On 27 January 1979, Haushiku was ordained a bishop, becoming the first indigenous Roman Catholic bishop in Namibia.[2] He was made titular bishop of Troyna and auxiliary bishop of Windhoek.[3] In November 1980, Haushiku was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Windhoek.[3]

In 1986 Haushiku, along with the Lutheran bishop Kleopas Dumeni and the Anglican bishop James Kauluma, challenged a dusk-to-dawn curfew that South African authorities had imposed in Namibia. The bishops argued that the curfew violated the freedom to assemble, freedom of religion, freedom of association, and freedom of movement.[1] Later that year he was part of a delegation that travelled to Washington DC to "appeal for pressure on the government of South Africa to end its long time occupation of their country."[4]

On 22 May 1995 Haushiku was installed as archbishop of the newly created Archdiocese of Windhoek.[1]

In 2000, as President of the Council of Churches in Namibia, he led a 2000-person protest march in which he spoke against unemployment, poverty, disease, gender-based violence, and murder.[1]

After suffering from cancer for more than a year, Haushiku died on 12 June 2002.[1]

Recognition

St Boniface College, a boarding school in Kavango East founded in 1995, is named after him.[5]

References
  1. Historical Dictionary of Namibia. Scarecrow Press. 2012. pp. 162–163. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  2. Buys, Gerhard; Nambala, Shekutaamba. "Bonifatius Hausiku". Dictionary of African Christian Biography. Archived from the original on 8 July 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  3. "Archbishop Bonifatius Haushiku, I.C.P. †". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  4. "Namibian Church Leaders Oppose U.S. Policies". Episcopal News Service. 11 December 1986. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  5. Immanuel, Shinovene (18 January 2013). "St Boniface: the story behind the success". The Namibian. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
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