European Field Receives Attention

In 1929 the first European Witnesses, Henry and Edith Myrdal, arrived in Lourenço Marques from South Africa and began witnessing to the Portuguese population. Four years later they were joined by the de Jagers. Many seeds of Bible truth were scattered as a result of their move.

Then in 1935, two more pioneers, Fred Ludick and David Norman, paid a visit to Lourenço Marques. They stayed with the Myrdal family. However, on their fifth day of service, they were abruptly picked up at the Myrdal residence by the secret police, packed into the Black Maria (a van used for transporting criminals), and taken to a high-ranking official, a Mr. Teixeira. When David boldly declared that he knew that the bishop was behind the whole conspiracy, Mr. Teixeira jumped up and roared: “If you were my citizens, I’d have you here and now banned to the Island of Madeira, but because you are South African citizens I’ll have you deported at once!” That same day they were escorted to the border by two carloads of heavily armed policemen. However, on reaching the frontier, the brothers witnessed to their police guards, placed literature with them, and shook hands all around before continuing their journey.

He was then transferred to the central jail in Beira, and from there he was transported to Lourenço Marques in a manner both strange and inhuman. He was sent by boat in a box filled with salt water, with only his head exposed. Upon arrival in Lourenço Marques, he emerged naked; his clothes had disintegrated. He was given a sack to cover himself. At his trial he was ordered to abandon his religion and his God, but in a manner similar to that of the apostles of Jesus Christ, he replied: “What matters is to obey God rather than men.”​—Acts 5:29.

After the trial, Janeiro was placed in an isolated cell and into a small wooden box, with only a tiny opening through which a few pieces of fruit were shoved daily. When he was taken out one week later, he was practically unable to stand.

And what about those Witnesses in the south? Under harsh persecution they too proved to be loyal Witnesses. Among them was Albino Mhelembe, who by then was up in years. In 1957 he and others from Lourenço Marques were also deported to São Tomé, but they continued to witness.

New groups were started, including one in Lourenço Marques, now Maputo.

That was the way Calvino Machiana answered when his teacher asked the class what they wanted to be when they grew up. Later, in Johannesburg, a former schoolmate witnessed to him. However, it was not until he returned to Lourenço Marques in 1950 that he finally severed ties with the Swiss Mission Church. When the colonial police, the PIDE, arrested and deported the more experienced ones of the group, the ones who were left behind lacked supervision.

Brother Zunguza accepted this counsel and without hesitation returned to Lourenço Marques, where he joined the small group located there. In time, he married and with his wife, Paulina, was used extensively by Jehovah’s organization in the traveling work throughout Mozambique.