United in a Divided Country

From 1948 until the early 1990’s, the political system in South Africa was apartheid.a During this period, many treated people of other races unjustly. Kallie, who was classified as “colored” (mixed-ethnicity) under apartheid, recalls: “Non-whites also discriminated against each other.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses in South Africa come from many ethnic backgrounds. How did they deal with apartheid? And what does this part of their history teach us?

Dealing With Division-Fueled Dangers

In South Africa, some who objected to enforced racial segregation organized protests. Many of those who protested the government’s policies were imprisoned, and some were killed. Those opposing the government, in turn, grew more violent. On the other hand, Jehovah’s Witnesses obeyed the law and did not get involved in protests or attempts to change the government. In this way, they imitated the Christians of the first century who remained “in subjection to the superior authorities.”—Romans 13:1, 2.

Many times, Jehovah’s Witnesses were pressured to violate their neutrality and take sides. But taking sides could have involved them in supporting a violent political conflict or even potentially fighting against their spiritual brothers. For example, “during the uprisings of 1976, many high school students were forced to join political riots,” explains Thembsie. “Rioting students would go from door to door looking for other students to join them. If you refused, they might burn down your home or even beat you to death.” A political leader of an opposition party told a Witness named Theophilus, “Once we defeat the white man, we will kill you because you did not fight for your country.”

Meeting Together in a Divided Land

Despite the difficulties caused by apartheid, Witnesses in South Africa kept meeting together for worship. (Hebrews 10:24, 25) Some congregations could not build a Kingdom Hall because apartheid kept many people impoverished.b “For years, we had to rent facilities that were in very poor condition,” says Enver. “So my father offered our home for congregation meetings. Twice a week, our family transformed our house into a Kingdom Hall. Sometimes we had over 100 people packed into our house. After the meetings, we often enjoyed showing hospitality to all.”

The brothers found ingenious ways to overcome obstacles that apartheid created. For example, in the Limpopo Province, a white brother who was asked to speak at a circuit assembly in a black area was denied a permit to enter. So he approached the white owner of the farm adjacent to the black area, and the two made an agreement. The circuit assembly was held with the audience on one side of the farmer’s fence and the visiting speaker on the other side.

Witnessing in Segregated Territories

Under apartheid, racial groups were segregated into their respective residential areas. Therefore, congregation territories were usually composed of people of the same race. Apartheid obliged the Witnesses to be flexible in the way they organized publishers for field service. For instance, working unassigned territory presented certain challenges. “Often there were no places where non-whites were allowed to stay overnight. So we would sleep in our cars or under trees,” says Krish, who was categorized as “Indian” under apartheid. “In the morning, we would wash up at a fuel station restroom. At times, though, even these restrooms were marked ‘Whites Only.’ In spite of this, publishers supported the ministry and enjoyed preaching to many interested ones in rural areas.”

Despite these difficulties, Jehovah’s people kept growing in number. When apartheid was legislated in 1948, there were 4,831 publishers in South Africa. By the time it ended in 1994, the number of publishers had reached 58,729. That publisher base led to even further growth. In 2021, South Africa reached a peak of 100,112 publishers.

Surrounded by Hatred, United by Love

During the apartheid era, Jehovah’s Witnesses in South Africa lived in a country known for enforced racial segregation. In this environment, they worked hard to promote love and harmony among people of all races. They did this by teaching and following Bible principles. (Acts 10:34, 35) Although surrounded by hatred, they were united by love.—John 13:34, 35.

In 1993, Jehovah’s Witnesses held a multiracial convention in South Africa. A prominent political leader watched Witnesses from South Africa warmly greet and embrace international delegates as they arrived at the airport. He said: “If we had the same spirit of unity as you, we would have solved our problems long ago.”