Agrippa Dlaldla

Agrippa Dladla interview notes

Interviewer: Rita Wiesemann

2021

Agrippa Dladla was born on the 13th December 1942 and was a lifelong member of the Dutch Reform Mission Church in eSizameleni. which was built in 1938. He was one of eleven children.

He was christened by the Rev J van Rensburg in whose tenure the church was built (tenure1938-1942). The church’s cornerstone was laid on the 12th March 1938 by Mrs GA Kolbe.

Agrippa went to school in the township until 1959 and passed Std 6. 

His first job was as a gardener for a Mr Greyling who lived in town.

He then moved to the Witwatersrand in the 1960s where he worked for Dunswart Steel in Benoni. He returned to Wakkerstroom when his mother passed away and was subsequently not permitted to return to the Rand because of the pass laws and Urban Area Act.

Agrippa then started working for the TPA (Transvaalse Paaie Administration/Transvaal Road Administration in Van Riebeeck Street, initially as a labourer but was later promoted to storeman. Although he was unable to obtain a PTL he was then employed as a driver, and he worked for the TRP for forty years.  

He had nine children with his first wife and one child with his second wife. He was an elder in the mission church and often did lay preaching.

He worked as a field worker with Mr Dirk Human who was a farmer in the area. Agrippa is familiar with many residents of Wakkerstroom – the Bruwers, the Greylings, the Davels, the Maritze, Gerrie van Deventer, Jan Oosthuizen, Martin Niemand and the van Strijps.

Agrippa suffered from Parkinson’s disease and was unable to attend church anymore since he needed transport. Sadly, he died in December 2021.

The following is a list of ministers or evangelists that Agrippa supplied hand writtednto Rita Wiesemann when she interviewed him:

 ABAFUNDISI

*Zungu
*Ndwandwe
*Makoena
*Bana
*Ntilane
*Mchabeleng
*Nomanyoni
*Bhengu
 *Kunene
 *Van Zyl
 *Deacon
 *Van Rensburg
 *Nango

NOTE: many of these names tally with the records of the DR Church and dates of some tenures are available