Vikinduku Mnculwane

On 19 May 2021 at an elective assembly of the Diocese of Zululand Mnculwane was elected to be the fifteenth bishop of Zululand with a two-thirds majority vote at the first ballot. He was ordained a bishop on 12 September by Archbishop Thabo Makgoba as the principal consecrator with Bishop Raphael Hess (Bishop of Saldahna Bay) and Bishop Ebenezer Ntlali (Bishop of Grahamstown) as the co- consecrators.

In August 2019, Dino Gabriel (bishop of Natal) appointed him as the rector of St Augustine's parish of Umlazi. This was his return to full-time or stipendiary ministry.

In 2009 he graduated with a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Stellenbosch. His thesis is titled An Assessment of the Implementation of The Service Delivery Improvement Policy In The Department Of Arts, Culture And Tourism In KZN. In 2016 he graduated at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) with a Doctoral Degree in Public Administration having written a thesis titled A phenomenological investigation into the use of incentives to solicit community participation in heritage policy implementation in post 1994 South Africa.

He left stipendiary ministry in February 2006 to become a public servant. He was employed by the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government in the following positions and departments:

He married Lindiwe Rejoice MaNkwanyana on 7 July 1990 with whom he has three children, Sinenhlanhla Sindisiwe (died 2010), Duduzile Buyisiwe and Dumisani Simphiwe.

After discerning a calling in 1986, the Diocese of Zululand sent him to study theology at the St Paul's College, Grahamstown where he graduated with a Diploma in Theology in 1989. He was made a deacon on 16 December 1989 and ordained a priest on 16 December 1990 by the Lawrence Zulu, bishop of Zululand.

He served his curacy at the Cathedral of St Michael and All Angels, Eshowe in 1989 and 1990. He was the rector of St Margaret’s Parish in Mafitleng (Nquthu area) between January 1991 and December 1995. He became a rector of All Saints in Gingindlovu in 1996 and went to work in the Diocese of Natal as the rector of St Phillip’s in Dundee, KwaZulu-Natal (1997–1999), rector of St Christopher’s in Sobantu (Jan 2000 – July 2001) and rector of Ekuvukeni in KwaMashu (August 2001 – February 2006). Having been interested in furthering his theological education, he graduated with a Bachelor of Theology degree and Bachelor of Theology Honours degree from the University of South Africa (UNISA). Having realised the need for priests to have some background in finance, he enrolled at Varsity College to study for the Diploma in Management Accounting and Finance. He then pursued and graduated in 2003 with Masters in Theology degree specialising in Systematic Theology from the University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN). His thesis is titled Can a critical analysis of Hans Küng's early ecclesiology (1960-1970) yield some paradigmatic examples for a contemporary redemptive community in South Africa? It was his time as the rector of Ekuvukeni that he was appointed Canon of the Cathedral of the Holy Nativity, Pietermaritzburg.

After completing his schooling, he went to study at Cwaka College of Agriculture, Empangeni which was a college for black students during the Apartheid era. In 1981 he graduated with a Diploma in Agriculture and in 1982 started working as an agricultural extension officer for the Department of Agriculture until 1986. He was responsible for providing agricultural extension services for both commercial and subsistence farmers in arears of Mahlabathini and Ulundi. It was during this time where he felt a calling to the vocation of priesthood in the Anglican church.

Vikinduku Victor Mnculwane (born 2 June 1959) is a South African Anglican Bishop of the Diocese of Zululand. He was elected at an Elective Assembly of the Diocese of Zululand, held on 20 May 2021 and his episcopal ordination was on 12 September 2021, held at the Cathedral Church of St Michael and All Angels in Eshowe. He succeeds Bishop Monument Makhanya as the fifteenth bishop of Zululand.

Vikinduku Mnculwane was born in Estcourt at a village called Ntabamhlophe (Mdwebu area) on 2 June 1959. He is one of the seven children of Ntombi Christine (MaSithole) and Joseph Muzikayise Mnculwane. He completed his high-schooling at eMtshezi High School in 1979.