Background
Colin Winter was born on October 10, 1928, at Stoke- on-Trent, England.
Colin Winter was born on October 10, 1928, at Stoke- on-Trent, England.
Educated at Loughborough College, then at Lincoln College, Oxford, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in June 1953. He completed his divinity studies at Ely Theological College in 1955.
Ordained deacon at Chichester Cathedral, Sussex, he received his first charge as curate of St Andrew’s Church, Eastbourne, in 1956. Three years later he was transferred to South Africa as rector at Simonstown from 1959 to 1964. He was appointed Dean of St George’s Cathedral, Windhoek, South-West Africa, in 1964. He was consecrated Bishop of Damaraland on November 17, 1968, at St Paul’s Church, Durban.
As a Christian pacifist he deplored violence either by or against Africans but felt he could not stay aloof from the grievances of the Ovamboland people. He travelled to New York in October 1971 to attend the hearings of the South-West Africa case before the United Nations Security Council. In January 1972 he appealed for funds for the defence of 12 Ovambos put on trial after the strike in December 1971.
His permit to enter Ovamboland, where 90% of the people under his ministry lived, was withdrawn on January 28, 1972. A month later he was served with expulsion orders. Before leaving South Africa he had talks with Dr Kurt Waldheim, United Nations Secretary-General, advising him what to look for during his visit to South-West Africa. He also wrote to Prime Minister Vorster complaining of “torture, imprisonment without trial, violence and shootings” in South-West Africa saying: “You must know what the vast majority of blacks in this country groan daily under the indignity of apartheid, reject totally your concept of Bantustans, yearn to develop and live as free men.” From London he keeps watch over Ovambo interests and went to the Namibia International Conference at Brussels in May 1972. His appeal against deportation was dismissed by the South African Appeal Court on December 2, 1972.
Outspoken critic of apartheid, who accepted exile rather than silence his conscience. Gifted preacher, always ready to come down from the pulpit, involve the Church in the struggle for human rights, and help ease the hardships of the Africans.