{"id":{"repo_id":"stellenbosch","oai_identifier":"oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/136256"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/stellenbosch/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/136256","repository":{"repo_id":"stellenbosch","name":"Stellenbosch University","base_url":"https://scholar.sun.ac.za/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Medical Work on Leprosy at Morgenster Mission and Ngomahuru, colonial Zimbabwe (Southern Rhodesia),1899-1945","abstract":"During the British South Africa Company (BSAC) rule in Southern Rhodesia, the provision of healthcare to Africans in rural areas was dominated by missionaries. These missionaries established mission hospitals that administered the provision of healthcare to Africans. The provision of healthcare was part of the ministries established to convert Africans to Christianity. As a result, the provision of healthcare to Africans was associated with the discouragement of African traditional healing practices in particular and the African Traditional Religion in general. The transition from company rule to the Responsible Government in 1923 saw a shift, with the Responsible Government taking over some of the responsibilities of providing healthcare to Africans from missionaries. The shift from missionaries to Responsible government brought about many changes in how diseases were understood, controlled and treated. Using the case of leprosy disease, this study examines how it was understood, controlled, and treated between 1899, when a leper settlement was established by the medical missionary, Dr John Helm, at Morgenster Mission farm, and 1923, when the Responsible Government took over the administering of leprosy. The study also examines the changes that came with the establishment of Ngomahuru leper settlement under the Responsible Government rule. Furthermore, the study grapples with the roles played by medical missionaries, such as Dr John Helm and government medical practitioners, such as Dr Moiser. In doing so, the study makes four key arguments. Firstly, it argues that medical missionaries were preoccupied with the idea of converting Africans to Christianity and controlling the spread of leprosy. At the same time, the government era from 1923 was characterised by controlling and treating leprosy. Secondly, the study avers that because of the preoccupation with controlling leprosy, segregation was the main strategy used by missionaries, while from 1923, Western medicines were adopted to treat leprosy. Thirdly, the study submits that many leper patients recovered in the 1930s and 1940s. Lastly, the study argues that the establishment of a leper settlement at Ngomahuru undermined the traditional African religious practices.","abstract_html":"During the British South Africa Company (BSAC) rule in Southern Rhodesia, the provision of healthcare to Africans in rural areas was dominated by missionaries. These missionaries established mission hospitals that administered the provision of healthcare to Africans. The provision of healthcare was part of the ministries established to convert Africans to Christianity. As a result, the provision of healthcare to Africans was associated with the discouragement of African traditional healing practices in particular and the African Traditional Religion in general. The transition from company rule to the Responsible Government in 1923 saw a shift, with the Responsible Government taking over some of the responsibilities of providing healthcare to Africans from missionaries. The shift from missionaries to Responsible government brought about many changes in how diseases were understood, controlled and treated. Using the case of leprosy disease, this study examines how it was understood, controlled, and treated between 1899, when a leper settlement was established by the medical missionary, Dr John Helm, at Morgenster Mission farm, and 1923, when the Responsible Government took over the administering of leprosy. The study also examines the changes that came with the establishment of Ngomahuru leper settlement under the Responsible Government rule. Furthermore, the study grapples with the roles played by medical missionaries, such as Dr John Helm and government medical practitioners, such as Dr Moiser. In doing so, the study makes four key arguments. Firstly, it argues that medical missionaries were preoccupied with the idea of converting Africans to Christianity and controlling the spread of leprosy. At the same time, the government era from 1923 was characterised by controlling and treating leprosy. Secondly, the study avers that because of the preoccupation with controlling leprosy, segregation was the main strategy used by missionaries, while from 1923, Western medicines were adopted to treat leprosy. Thirdly, the study submits that many leper patients recovered in the 1930s and 1940s. Lastly, the study argues that the establishment of a leper settlement at Ngomahuru undermined the traditional African religious practices.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Masango, Natsai Nicole"],"institution":"Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Dube, Thembani"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2026,"date_issued":"2026-03","date_published":"2026-03","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:40:12Z","subjects":[],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/136256","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Dube, Thembani"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.other","label":"Dc Contributor Other","values":["Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of History."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Masango, Natsai Nicole"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2026-04-29T13:43:44Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2026-04-29T13:43:44Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2026-03"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/136256"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.","Masango, N. N. 2026. Medical Work on Leprosy at Morgenster Mission and Ngomahuru, colonial Zimbabwe (Southern Rhodesia),1899-1945. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/bd3c637d-36c4-4a29-9b9e-6be0eb141979"]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["During the British South Africa Company (BSAC) rule in Southern Rhodesia, the provision of healthcare to Africans in rural areas was dominated by missionaries. These missionaries established mission hospitals that administered the provision of healthcare to Africans. The provision of healthcare was part of the ministries established to convert Africans to Christianity. As a result, the provision of healthcare to Africans was associated with the discouragement of African traditional healing practices in particular and the African Traditional Religion in general. The transition from company rule to the Responsible Government in 1923 saw a shift, with the Responsible Government taking over some of the responsibilities of providing healthcare to Africans from missionaries. The shift from missionaries to Responsible government brought about many changes in how diseases were understood, controlled and treated. Using the case of leprosy disease, this study examines how it was understood, controlled, and treated between 1899, when a leper settlement was established by the medical missionary, Dr John Helm, at Morgenster Mission farm, and 1923, when the Responsible Government took over the administering of leprosy. The study also examines the changes that came with the establishment of Ngomahuru leper settlement under the Responsible Government rule. Furthermore, the study grapples with the roles played by medical missionaries, such as Dr John Helm and government medical practitioners, such as Dr Moiser. In doing so, the study makes four key arguments. Firstly, it argues that medical missionaries were preoccupied with the idea of converting Africans to Christianity and controlling the spread of leprosy. At the same time, the government era from 1923 was characterised by controlling and treating leprosy. Secondly, the study avers that because of the preoccupation with controlling leprosy, segregation was the main strategy used by missionaries, while from 1923, Western medicines were adopted to treat leprosy. Thirdly, the study submits that many leper patients recovered in the 1930s and 1940s. Lastly, the study argues that the establishment of a leper settlement at Ngomahuru undermined the traditional African religious practices."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Medical Work on Leprosy at Morgenster Mission and Ngomahuru, colonial Zimbabwe (Southern Rhodesia),1899-1945"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Dube, Thembani"],"dc:contributor.other":["Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of History."],"dc:creator":["Masango, Natsai Nicole"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2026-04-29T13:43:44Z"],"dc:date.available":["2026-04-29T13:43:44Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2026-03"],"dc:description":["Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.","Masango, N. N. 2026. Medical Work on Leprosy at Morgenster Mission and Ngomahuru, colonial Zimbabwe (Southern Rhodesia),1899-1945. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/bd3c637d-36c4-4a29-9b9e-6be0eb141979"],"dc:description.abstract":["During the British South Africa Company (BSAC) rule in Southern Rhodesia, the provision of healthcare to Africans in rural areas was dominated by missionaries. These missionaries established mission hospitals that administered the provision of healthcare to Africans. The provision of healthcare was part of the ministries established to convert Africans to Christianity. As a result, the provision of healthcare to Africans was associated with the discouragement of African traditional healing practices in particular and the African Traditional Religion in general. The transition from company rule to the Responsible Government in 1923 saw a shift, with the Responsible Government taking over some of the responsibilities of providing healthcare to Africans from missionaries. The shift from missionaries to Responsible government brought about many changes in how diseases were understood, controlled and treated. Using the case of leprosy disease, this study examines how it was understood, controlled, and treated between 1899, when a leper settlement was established by the medical missionary, Dr John Helm, at Morgenster Mission farm, and 1923, when the Responsible Government took over the administering of leprosy. The study also examines the changes that came with the establishment of Ngomahuru leper settlement under the Responsible Government rule. Furthermore, the study grapples with the roles played by medical missionaries, such as Dr John Helm and government medical practitioners, such as Dr Moiser. In doing so, the study makes four key arguments. Firstly, it argues that medical missionaries were preoccupied with the idea of converting Africans to Christianity and controlling the spread of leprosy. At the same time, the government era from 1923 was characterised by controlling and treating leprosy. Secondly, the study avers that because of the preoccupation with controlling leprosy, segregation was the main strategy used by missionaries, while from 1923, Western medicines were adopted to treat leprosy. Thirdly, the study submits that many leper patients recovered in the 1930s and 1940s. Lastly, the study argues that the establishment of a leper settlement at Ngomahuru undermined the traditional African religious practices."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/136256"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University"],"dc:title":["Medical Work on Leprosy at Morgenster Mission and Ngomahuru, colonial Zimbabwe (Southern Rhodesia),1899-1945"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:40:12Z"}