Bishop Sipuka was born in Idutywa in the Diocese of Queenstown on 27 April 1960. In 1967, his family moved to Mthatha where his father was working on the farms, and where he became a Catholic as a child and his family also became Catholic later on. He was baptised by Fr. Nicholas Lamla in 1969. 

In 1970, the family moved to Butterworth where Bishop Sipuka grew up and matriculated there in 1979. He worked for two years in the Post Office in Idutywa as a clerk and in 1982 joined the Seminary and was ordained to the priesthood on 17 December 1988 by Bishop Lenhof SAC for the Diocese of Queenstown. Between 1989 and 1992 he worked in the Diocese first as curate in Qoqodala from 1989 to 1990 and as Parish Priest in Zigudu.

 In 1992 he was sent to Rome to study Dogmatic Theology and on his return, he went to teach in the Seminary. While he was working in the Seminary he enrolled for a Doctoral degree in systematic theology with the University of South Africa and completed it in 2000. From 2000 he became the Rector of St. John Vianney National Seminary and held this position until he was appointed bishop of Mthatha in 2008.

He was consecrated bishop on the 3rd of May 2008 by his predecessor bishop Oswald Hirmer assisted by bishop Herbet Lenhof and Archbishop Mandla Khumalo CMM at a ceremony that was well prepared in Zingisa grounds and with huge crowds. Ever since becoming a bishop, he has been in the leadership of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference. 

In 2009 he became head of the Seminary department, a position that put him in the Executive Board of the Conference. In 2012, he became the 2nd Vice President, 1st Vice President in 2016 and President in 2019. From 2016 he also served as 2nd Vice President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), a continental body of the African bishops. In July 2019 he was elected to serve the same body as its 1st Vice President. Bishop Sipuka is also the chairperson of the Pastoral Conference of the Xhosa Region (PCXR) since 2010. 

Motto of the bishop: to work and to care 

When Bishop Sipuka became Bishop, he inherited a Diocese which was well structured and active. The MDPC (Mthatha Diocesan Pastoral Conference) with various Commissions was functioning well. The priests came together regularly in their Deaneries. There was a Pastoral vision for the Diocese captured in the so called “3 stars”. 

The new Bishop being a man of order and clear structures engaged the priests and the faithful in compiling a Pastoral Policy with constitutions and Guidelines. It spelt out the aim, tasks, office bearers and rules for the well-functioning of the Mthatha Diocesan Pastoral Conference (MDPC), the Diocesan Pastoral Forum (DPF), the Parish Pastoral Committee (PPC), the Diocesan Finance Commission (DFC), the vehicle policy, etc. In 2014 the Pastoral Policy of the Diocese was revised. 

The Vision as stated in the Pastoral Policy of the Diocese of Mthatha says: 

“Inspired by the Diocesan Coat of Arms, TO CARE AND TO WORK we the Catholics in the Diocese of Mthatha, in our various states and stages of life as Children, Young People, Laity, Sodalities, Religious, Pastoral Workers and Priests, united with the Bishop see ourselves as:

• A caring family of God.

• Called into personal relationship with Christ and communion among ourselves.

• Doing the work of Evangelisation with our Talents and Skills in a purposeful, coordinated, systematic, and sustainable manner”. 

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Notable Developments

Whenever there were priestly ordinations or big Diocesan events there was always the problem of a venue and proper over-night facilities. Besides this the Diocese needed a centre to bring the two language parts together and to have a place for catechetical and spiritual formation of the faithful. After weighing up some options it was decided that this centre should be built in Maclear. The Centre is called: “Pope Francis Diocesan Pastoral Centre”. The first part of the Centre, which is dormitories for lay people was opened and blessed in 2018. In 2019, the second stage of the centre, namely Priests and Pastoral workers’ sleeping rooms was completed in. What remains now is the building of the Church, which will also serve as a hall. This project took a big toll on the finances of the Diocese as the money that was expected from the faithful did not reach the budgeted amount, but still the faithful of the Diocese are to be commended for the effort they made towards the building of the Centre. The contribution from funders and friends from overseas also played a big role in realising this project.  

The Bishop has chosen to live in a house owned by the Diocese so that the old “Bishop’s House” which was both the bishop’s residence and office and where priests informally gathered when they came into town is now full administrative office building. 

During the time of Bishop Sipuka the Aids Awareness Desk was established. In his inaugural sermon at his ordination he spoke of the importance of the youth. Therefore, he soon established a Youth Desk and employed a full time Youth leader. 

The Diocese of Mthatha consists mainly of rural area and the population is largely unemployed and poor. Under the Motto “Feeding the poor” he encourages the Parishes to establish food kitchens or help poor people with food parcels. He also encourages people to use their own skills and resources and learn how to use their own gardens, start small projects of rearing fowls and pigs and so supplement their meagre nutrition with vegetables and meat. 

Bishop Sipuka is trying to bring the administration of the Parishes into the 21st century by introducing digitalisation of Parish Record books like Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage and Death. 

Inspired by the bicentenary celebration of the establishment of the Church in Southern Africa, bishop Sipuka initiated the project of revising the book of Fr. Marcel Dischl CMM, Transkei for Christ 1980, which ended up being a Diocesan Chronicle of Mthatha as efforts to include other Dioceses did not materialise.  

In the 12 years until today as a Bishop of Mthatha Bishop Sipuka ordained 11 priests. 

The shortage of priests in his Diocese is a great worry to him. There are at present (2020) 3 Parishes without a resident priest. In 2012 he was successful in getting 3 priests from Zimbabwe and while working hard to promote local vocations, he is contemplating to get a few other priests from African countries.

In his capacity as the PCXR, he is leading a project of translating Liturgical texts into isiXhosa and to date, 3 have been completed, namely the Pontifical, Book of Sacraments and other Rituals and the Lectionary. The full Roman Missal is presently with the printers and will be published in March 2021. 

Bishop Sithembele Sipuka has still 15 years ahead of him until his retirement according to Canon Law. May he follow his Motto:  TO CARE AND TO WORK for the good of all the faithful in his Diocese and the growth of God’s Kingdom in this part of the world.