I wouldn’t change a thing!

An interview with Lieutenant Colonel Grace Zwane

The Editor recently had the privilege to sit down with Lieutenant Colonel Grace Zwane at her beautiful home in Soweto for an interview. Strong and gracious in spirit, Lieutenant Colonel Grace Zwane shared precious memories of her first appointment, which is still near and dear to her heart, along with how she met and fell in love with her husband, Lieutenant Colonel Jockton Zwane (PTG), and other sweet moments of her journey with the Lord. A remarkable woman of God who is preparing to celebrate her 95th birthday later this year.

Born in Messina, Limpopo, the eldest daughter of five siblings to officer parents Brigadiers Philemon and Bertha Makhoshi, Lieutenant Colonel Grace Zwane truly has yellow, red, and blue blood flowing through her veins! Lieutenant Colonel Grace spent the first 12 years of her life in the Limpopo area as her parents moved around the Division. During her childhood, an unexpected change in the health of Lieutenant Colonel Grace’s mother impacted her life significantly. When Lieutenant Colonel Grace was only 10 years of age, her mother lost her sight, which meant that young Grace and her father had to do much more to assist her. Lieutenant Colonel Grace’s youngest sibling was born when her mom was already blind, thus she had to take responsibility for the new baby and all her siblings because of her mother’s condition. In fact, her mother’s health was one of the reasons why Lieutenant Colonel Grace initially felt that she could not respond to the call of God to Officership, as she believed she needed to be available to support her father in his care of her mother. However, Lieutenant Colonel Grace’s parents did not want anything to hinder their daughter’s obedient response to God’s call, and so they encouraged her to follow the leading of the Lord and become an Officer of The Salvation Army. Prior to her entry into College, Lieutenant Colonel Grace was a school teacher at Tweefontein.

In speaking of her childhood, Lieutenant Colonel Grace shared that she enjoyed being an Officer’s child, even though it did mean that she had to attend boarding school due to the nature of her parent’s work. It was while she was at boarding school in Johannesburg (the Fred Clarke Boarding School) and seeing how tenderly her father cared for her sight-impaired mother that Grace felt that she needed to be closer to home to aid her father in caring for her mother.

Lieutenant Colonel Grace came to know Jesus as her Lord and Saviour after being influenced by the consistent family devotions (praying morning and afternoon as a family) and seeing wholehearted love for God in her childhood home. Seeing her parents’ faith lovingly lived out daily greatly shaped her life. This example was so impactful that Lieutenant Colonel Grace was open to the call to Officership because of what she witnessed at home. Speaking of her parents, Lieutenant Colonel Grace said: “I saw how my parents lived; I saw Jesus in them.”

A beautiful, radiant smile lit up Lieutenant Colonel Grace’s face when asked about how she met her beloved husband. As a young man, Lieutenant Colonel Jockton saw her picture when he visited a family friend, Lieutenant Francina Mhlongo, and so he requested her address. However, being a cautious friend, Francina wanted to write and check with her friend first. Lieutenant Francina saw the potential of a beautiful relationship, so when writing to her dear friend, she enthusiastically counselled: “You must answer when he writes!” The letter did come, much to the joy and curiosity of young Grace. Feeling a bit at a disadvantage because she had never met or even seen the author of the letter, she promptly requested that he send a photograph. The photograph came, and the correspondence began. At this time, Lieutenant Colonel Jockton was working as a clerk in Nigel. Soon thereafter, during Youth Councils (now Y-Connexion) at Zoo lake, the young Grace was swinging on a swing set but struggling to get it to stop. From behind her, strong hands came to her rescue and stilled the moving swing. She turned to see who the hands belonged to and met with the author of the letters. Their first face-to-face meeting! It was at those same Youth Councils that Lieutenant Colonel Jockton Zwane felt the call to Officership, and after being counselled by the Territorial Youth Officers (Major Zehm and Major Sarah Taylor), he was ready to affirmatively respond to the call of God upon his life. In April 1953, the young couple exchanged vows and entered into the covenant of marriage. Later that year, they ventured into the College for Officer Training from Springs Corps and were commissioned in June 1954 as part of the Shepherds session. Blessed over time with four children, two sons (Agrippa & Reginald) and two daughters (Sindi & Olga), the Zwane family was complete!

After commissioning, the following appointments were held over many years of faithful service: Commanding Officers at New Brighton Corps, Ginsberg Corps, Fred Clarke Corps (assisting at the Training College and later appointed as second-side officers at the CFOT), Commanding Officers at William Booth Corps, and Assistant Divisional Commanders. Additionally, they served as Superintendents at Mofolo Men’s Hostel (now known as Ephraim Zulu Senior Citizen Home), Divisional Commanders of Eastern Transvaal and Swaziland (now known as Mpumalanga & Eswatini Division), Divisional Commanders of Weenen Division, and Training Principals at Fred Clark Training College with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. They completed their service as active officers as Divisional Commanders of Central Division before entering retirement in 1990.

Lieutenant Colonel Grace often had to assume full responsibility for appointments for several months, such as at Mofolo Men’s Hostel in 1966 and for the Eastern Transvaal Division in 1976 when Lieutenant Colonel Jockton went to the International College for Officer Training on two occasions. Lieutenant Colonel Grace’s teaching background served the mission well as she assisted with the invigilation of Matric exams as community service when appointed to DHQ in the Eastern Transvaal Division. In 1979, she was appointed to teach Adult Literacy to THQ employees who had not been privileged to receive basic education.

When speaking about which appointments left a lasting impression on her heart, without hesitation Lieutenant Colonel Grace mentions New Brighton Corps (now Ibhayi Corps) in the Eastern Cape. It was in this first appointment that Lieutenant Colonel Grace said “I could see we were really and truly Officers now” as they lived out their calling and embraced the people God had sent them to. Upon arrival, the young Lieutenants found that there was no hall and no quarters. The newly commissioned couple stayed in a boarding house initially. There were also no soldiers, local officers, or junior soldiers at New Brighton Corps when they arrived. The couple only found a Salvation Army flag with the wording “New Brighton Corps” inscribed on it. Their daily routine would include going door to door after breakfast, seeking to get to know the community they had been appointed to. People were not always open or receptive to the young lieutenants. Sometimes, as they went door to door, they would be offered lunch by some kind soul, other times it would mean a day without food as they continued to work their way through the Community. On Sunday, there would be two people attending the Open Air: the Lieutenants themselves! One would hold the flag while the other preached! The following open air they would swap roles! Even as an expectant mother, a heavily pregnant Lieutenant Grace would hold the flag while her husband boldly shared the Word of God. People did not ignore this determined young couple as they moved through the community. Slowly but surely, people would stand outside their homes, Bibles in hand, listening as the faithful young Lieutenants shared the Gospel in the open air. Lieutenant Colonel Grace smiles tenderly as she remembers their welcome service at New Brighton Corps. The Divisional Commander, Major Stanley Hill, brought a band from a nearby Corps, a local Community Counsellor made tea in the Community hall and brought some eats, and their welcome service was conducted in the open air meeting! As there were no local officers or soldiers, the welcome meeting and the welcome tea were made up of community members in attendance. God surely used this unique welcome service, as Lieutenant Colonel Grace remembers that three or four days later, when they went out to do another open air, salvationists in the community (originally from other provinces but now working in New Brighton) came out and joined them. Thereafter, Corps meetings were held in the dining room of where they stayed and so the Corps began to grow!

Three years ago, Lieutenant Colonel Grace accompanied the Soweto Central Chorus when they visited the Eastern Cape Division and she had the opportunity to visit the New Brighton/Ibhayi Corps where her officership journey began. What joy it brought to her heart to see the property, infrastructure and strength of the Corps as it stands today!

Speaking of another special appointment in her Officership journey, Lieutenant Colonel Grace mentioned her time serving at the College for Officer Training. Memories of putting the entire session of Cadets on a train on a Saturday morning in order to do outreach in a community are clearly engraved on Lieutenant Colonel Grace’s heart and mind. The order of the day would include packing lunch for the cadets, traveling to the area scheduled for ministry, marching and singing in the streets before going from house to house to do visitation. Cadets, now Officers, whom Lieutenant Colonel Grace influenced in training still bring joy and pride as she lovingly lists their surnames: “Khoza, Madonsela, Maxase, Mahlangu … and there are others!”

When asked what Lieutenant Colonel Grace would want Cadets today to know and do she said, without missing a beat, that visitation is the most important thing that Officers can and must do: “Visit people. Care for people. Love people. Work hard. Always be kind!” Lieutenant Colonel Grace also wanted to encourage Officers not to take to heart some of the harsh words they receive at times from the people they serve by saying: “Don’t take heavy words to heart or be cross with your people, let hurtful words go in one ear and out the other. Forgive them, be friendly, and still be kind.”

Reflecting on what some of the most important lessons were learned on the Officership journey, Lieutenant Colonel Grace said with conviction: “Be friendly to people. Show kindness. Be sympathetic with people.” Contemplating on 36 years of Officership that included many blessings and also times of hardship, Lieutenant Colonel Grace meaningfully says: “I wouldn’t change a thing.” Lieutenant Colonel Grace speaks about the blessings of God as listed in Matthew 5 being Scripture that has held her heart and steadied her feet over the years. Even in retirement, she remains a committed member of the Home League and faithfully attending Sunday Services as much as is possible. Determined to remain a good example to younger Officers and soldiers, the previous Training Officer and Divisional Leader insists on wearing full uniform and looking smart, even when less formal shoes would be a more comfortable option!

As our time together closed, Lieutenant Colonel Grace led us in a chorus of her choice, sweetly sung with heartfelt conviction, which said: Izolo, namhla, nanini unjalo! UJesu noma siphenduka thina unjalo Jesu! (Yesterday, today, forever Jesus is the same! We may change but Jesus never!) Words which reflect this beautiful woman of God’s love for her Saviour that is evidenced in her life of service! As we reflect on her remarkable journey, may her example inspire us all to live out kindness, resilience and steadfast faith. Without a doubt, Lieutenant Colonel Grace Zwane embodies the grace and beauty of a life lived in service of others, leaving behind a legacy of love, kindness and devotion that will linger for generations to come.