The Holy Father Pope Francis has appointed the Reverend Father Elias Kwenzakufani Zondi, a priest of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Durban, until now Vicar General and Parish Priest of Saint James in Lamontville, as Auxiliary Bishop of the same Archdiocese, assigning him the titular See of Rutabo. This announcement came out on Thursday 9 March 2023 from the Holy See Press Office.
Msgr. Elias Kwenzakufani Zondi was born on 24 December 1963. After attending the Saint Paul Preparatory Seminary in Hammanskraal, he entered the Saint Peter Philosophical Seminary of Garsfontein, and subsequently the theological seminary of Saint John Vianney in Pretoria, where he was awarded a bachelor’s degree.
He was ordained a priest on 16 July 1994 for the archdiocese of Durban.
He has held the following offices: parish vicar of Christ the King in Wentworth (1994-1995); parish priest of Saint James in Mooi River (1996-2000); parish priest of KwaKristo Umsindisi and of Our Lady of Lourdes (2001-2015); since 2016, parish priest of Saint James in Lamontville; and since 2021, Vicar General of Archbishop Siedfried Mandla Jwara who has been at the helm of Durban Archdiocese since August 2021. Mons. Kwenzakufani is coming after the death of Bishop Barry Wood OMI in 2017 who was the Auxiliary Bishop of Durban. We congratulate Mons. Kwenzakufani on his new appointment and promise him our prayers as the IMBISA region