Archbishop Nubuasah: Apostle of the Batswana
Addressing the January plenary session of the Southern African Bishops’ Conference, outgoing president Bishop Sithembele Sipuka paid tribute to five bishops who are expected to retire soon or have recently retired. Today we feature his comments about Archbishop Franklyn Nubuasah SVD, bishop of Gaborone since 2019, and from 1998-2019, bishop of Francistown, both in Botswana. After Cardinal Napier, he is the longest-serving bishop in the SACBC.
“Archbishop Nubuasah is the youngest of the retiring bishops [he turned 75 last July]. When he first arrived in Botswana in 1980, you would be excused for mistaking him for one of the Manhattan singers because, like them, he had an afro hairstyle and wore bell-bottom trousers. He has since outgrown that appearance.
Archbishop Frank seldom speaks, but when he does, he is frank, true to his name, and cuts straight to the core of the issue being discussed. He can be rightly called the Apostle of the Batswana because, for over 40 years, he has dedicatedly served the Batswana people and, for the past 10 years or so, has been the only apostolic link as a bishop in the whole country. He has remained committed to his apostolic work despite the inconvenience of not being granted a permanent visa, with all the frustrations that this entails, including sometimes being unable to attend the bishop’s plenary meetings.

Bishop Frank Nubuasah at the 2025 Bishops Plenary. (Photo: Sheldon Reddiar)
When I first got to know him, he was the head bishop for the HIV/AIDS department. During this time, HIV/AIDS was still a crisis in the Conference area, and the Catholic Church was the No.1 NGO to provide comprehensive care and treatment to those infected and affected. He was compassionate but also provided leadership.
One of his arguments, when condoms were pushed as a solution to the AIDS pandemic, was to ask: ‘If you knew that someone was HIV positive, would you comfortably sleep with that person because you have a condom?’ and the answer often was ‘no’.
I believe that although AIDS-related deaths have significantly reduced, thanks to the availability of antiretroviral therapy, the growth of infections among young people is concerning. We are, therefore, not over the cliff yet about the AIDS challenge, and we take inspiration from Archbishop Frank to continue with this ministry. Re a lebogaRra.
- Archbishop Tlhagale: The ‘Gangster’ - February 7, 2025
- Bishop Edward Risi: The Liturgist - February 5, 2025
- Archbishop Nubuasah: Apostle of the Batswana - February 3, 2025