The Translations Office
This service came into existence in 1996. It was the fulfilment of a long standing wish in IMBISA as a bilingual body. During the Standing Committee meeting held in September 1995 in Johannesburg, the Bishops agreed to look for a translator from English into Portuguese and Mozambique was to provide a person. In January 1996 Sr. Eduarda Zimba CPS, was appointed as the first translator and was later joined by Fr. Antonio Tchingui, from Angola.
The Office was established to facilitate communication between Episcopal conferences by making translations chiefly between the two language groups, Portuguese and English. IMBISA is the only Regional Association of Catholic Bishops' Conference in Africa that is bilingual. Apart from translating documents, this Office also provides simultaneous interpretations during meetings, plenary gatherings and seminars. At the moment the Office is manned by Sr. Felicidade Samuel from Mozambique and Fr. Bernabe Da Cruz Didalewa from Angola. Since mid July 2009, the department is manned by one man, that is Fr. Bernabe Da Cruz Didalewa.