Zimpapers Logo

The Herald, 6 September 1979

THE man who dedicated much of his life to working with lepers and the man who was once described as “a poet and a visionary”, John Richard Bradburne (58) is dead.

Mr Bradburne, who was a voluntary worker at the leprosy hospital at Mtemwa near Mtoko, was murdered.

He was abducted from the hospital just before midnight on Monday and his body was found by security forces yesterday morning about 20km from the hospital. He had been shot.

For the past 10 years, Mr Bradburne had dedicated his life to working with the lepers at Mutemwa, the country’s last leper colony.

From June 1969, Mr Bradburne, a lay preacher, lived, ate, drank and prayed with the Mtemwa lepers until in 1973, officialdom stepped in and banned him from the settlement.

“I was sacked because they (the Rhodesian Leprosy Association) claimed I was careless with supplies and did not keep proper books,” he said later.

But Mr Bradburne was more concerned about helping the lepers than about book-keeping.

His banishment, however, did not stop him. He simply climbed up Chigona Hill, at the bottom of which the lepers lived, and from there he watched over the people he loved.

Later, after some Mtoko farmers had interceded with the Leprosy Association, he was allowed to come down and move into a broken down hovel once used by a leper.

From there he continued his work of looking after the physical and spiritual needs of “his people”.

Last night, Phillippa Berlyn, the writer said of Mr Bradburne: “He was a complete man of God. He was totally good. The lepers depended on him and, I believe, loved him very much.

“He gave up his total life for the lepers and he was also a good poet. I am very sad that he is dead but John himself, I am sure, would forgive those responsible.”

LESSONS FOR TODAY

John Bradburne, a Franciscan Friar through his love, devotion and caring spirit, transformed Mutemwa from a place where people cut off from society resided, to a place where lives are healed and restored.

Every year, thousands of pilgrims from various denominations travel to Chigona Mountain on the outskirts of Mutemwa Leprosy Centre for prayers and rededication of their faith. Most of the pilgrims have given miraculous testimonies.

John Bradburne is a revered figure in the Catholic Community in Zimbabwe, and is now a candidate for beatification by the Pope.

In Zimbabwe, leprosy patients are mostly sheltered at Mutemwa Leprosy Centre. Less than one percent are known to be suffering from the disease, meaning that the country has managed to reach the leprosy elimination target of one case per population of 10 000 set by the World Health Organisation.