Shortly before his death in December 2021, Friedel Stegen, for decades the second director of the KwaSizabantu mission, admitted in a letter to the European KSB branches his guilt for abuses at the mission and expressed shock at the true conditions at the mission. The letter is in German and was handwritten, see below. Here is the translation.
Dear brothers and sisters,
I thank the Lord for this time where I could examine myself and would like to apologise for the following things:
I have distanced myself from the wrong things in the mission, but where I have been guilty, I am truly sorry.
Where I believed what I was told about co-workers who left and then spoke evil of them, please forgive me. I blindly followed my brother and failed to check these rumours myself. I simply believed that it had already proved as true by God.
There were times when I did not deal with people in godly love. I did hurt them with harsh words and actions. Please forgive me. Also to the ones where I was asked to send them away without making sure about the accusations against them myself.
Where the Lord showed me that I had sinned against women, I was able to clear it up before God, in the presence of a pastoral counsellor. I could also reconcile myself with the women concerned. But where now, after many years has passed, these things have come out in the open, I also want to apologise to all of you. Please forgive me.
I have only now come to learned about many of the things that happened on the mission whilst I was there. I was not aware of many of these things. It really shocked us!
When I felt what was happening with the money was wrong, I warned, but it went on. That’s when I asked for an investigation. It’s now in higher court and we can only hope that something will happen.
Where anyone knows anything that I have not apologised personally, I want to put it right. The longing of my heart to be at peace with God and man and to spend my last days here on earth in the presence of the Lord Jesus.
Best regards, Friedel