The Makonde and Khubvi communities near Thohoyandou are in deep mourning following the passing of a white man who, at a time when this was unheard of, broke racial barriers to live among them.
Businessman James Engelstoft Nissen and his wife, Sylvia, established a bakery in Khubvi and later settled in Makonde village, where they built a home and lived in harmony with the local people.
When Nissen and his family arrived in Makonde in 1997, they integrated well, attending funerals a...