Pope Francis, has appointed Pallottine Father Paul Siphiwo Vanqa, 64, as Bishop of Queenstown, and Bishop Duncan Tsoke, 56, auxiliary in Johannesburg, as bishop of the diocese of Kimberley.
The diocese of Kimberley had been vacant since the late Archbishop Abel Gabuza was appointed coadjutor archbishop of Durban on December 9, 2018. Bishop Tsoke had served as auxiliary in Johannesburg since 2016. He will be the diocese’s sixth bishop in almost 135 years.
No auxiliary bishop was appointed for Johannesburg to replace Bishop Tsoke.
The Diocese of Queenstown had been vacant since Bishop Mphako was appointed the Archbishop of Pretoria on April 30, 2019. Bishop-elect Vanqa was the diocese’s administrator after while it was vacant. Previously, he had served from 201-19 as the vicar-apostolic of Queenstown. With his appointment, Queenstown is back in the hands of a Palottine bishop. Archbishop Mpako had been the first secular bishop of Queenstown; all of his four predeccesors were German Pallottines.
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