Colin Winter - Namibia

Namibia

In 1964 Winter became dean of St. George's Cathedral in Windhoek in what was then known as South West Africa, a former German colony controlled by South Africa, later known as Namibia.

He was elected bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Namibia in 1968, following the deportation of his predecessor, Bishop Robert Mize by the South African government.

Most of the Anglicans in Namibia lived in Ovamboland, where the South African government was trying to apply its "homelands" policy, and this caused tensions in the church.

A vocal opponent of South Africa's racial separation policies, Winter took a strong stand on behalf of migrant workers in his diocese, who included many Anglicans from Ovamboland.

During 1971 the Nationalist-supporting newspaper Die Suidwester launched a series of attacks on the Anglican Church in general, and Bishop Winter in particular. In January 1971 the attacks were related to Bishop Winter's tolling of the cathedral bell with special lunchtime prayers following the arrest of the Anglican dean of Johannesburg, Gonville Aubie ffrench-Beytagh.