Bernard Mizeki was born around the year 1861 in Portuguese East Africa (Mozambique). In his early teens, he left his native land and came to Cape Town, South Africa, where he was befriended by Anglican missionaries. He was baptized on March 9th, 1886, and trained as a catechist, becoming a much beloved teacher.

In 1891, Bernard Mizeki volunteered to serve as catechist for the pioneer mission in Mashonaland (a region in what is now northern Zimba…