200-year-old Mission Bell stolen from Van der Kemp Memorial Church, Bethelsdorp

Between Sunday afternoon, 27 September 2026 (after the weekly service) and Tuesday, 29 September 2026, thieves stole the copper Mission Bell (also called the Slave Bell) from the square outside Van der Kemp Memorial Church in Bethelsdorp, Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa. The bell had hung there since 1815 (some records date manufacture to 1793). Deacon and verger Rosaline Norkie discovered it missing when she walked to the church Tuesday. Police opened a theft case; congregants checked scrap dealers. The DA offered a R2,500 reward for information. Daily Maverick published 1 October 2026; News24 and Algoa FM also covered the theft.

Theft mapped to incidentType vandalism. Coordinates are the Nominatim town pin for Bethelsdorp, Nelson Mandela Bay (−33.8722971, 25.5109406); Nominatim returned no place_of_worship pin for Van der Kemp Memorial Church. occurredOn is 29 September 2026 (Tuesday discovery).