Rubin Phillip

Who is Rubin Phillip?

The Right Reverend Rubin Phillip is bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Natal. The great-grandchild of indentured labourers from Andhra Pradesh, Phillip is the first black South African to hold the position of Bishop of Natal. He grew up in Clairwood, a suburb of Durban with a large concentration of people of Indian ethnicity, in a non-religious household, but converted to Christianity before being enthroned as bishop in February 2000. He was a noted anti-apartheid activist and spent three years under house arrest in the 1970s. He continues to take political positions and remains connected to grasroots struggles.