During the Tempo Forte session of March held in the General Curia, the Minister and the General Definitory elected Br. Siphelele Gwanisheni, OFM as General Definitor for the African Conferences.
Br. Siphelele, currently Provincial Minister of the Province of “Our Lady Queen of Peace in South Africa” and President of the Anglophone African Conference, was born on January 4, 1979 in Bizana, South Africa. He began his novitiate on January 3, 2000, made his temporary profession on January 4, 2001 and his solemn profession on January 21, 2006; he was ordained on December 17, 2007.
He has carried out various services in his Entity: he was a parish assistant, Bursar, Vocations Director; he obtained a Licentiate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. He was Novice Master, Secretary of Formation and Studies, Definitor Provincial, Minister Provincial, Conference Vice President and President, Lecturer of Sacred Scripture. He speaks English, Italian, French.
Br. Siphelele takes over the service of our brother Mgr. Victor Luis Quematcha, OFM, General Definitor from July 2021 to March 8, 2025, the day on which the Holy Father Francis appointed him Bishop of the Diocese of Bafatá in Guinea-Bissau.
To Br. Victor, our thanks for what he has done in the General Curia; to Br. Siphelele, our welcome and our best wishes for a fruitful service for the benefit of the entire Order.
