Charles Johnson was a transport rider who was involved in the Anglo – Zulu wars which racked the area known as Zululand during the latter part of the 19th century. After the war, he decided to stay on in Zululand, having been asked by one of the chieftains, Hlubi, to stay on as a teacher.

Charles Johnson eventually became a priest and was responsible for introducing Christianity to this area of Zululand, eventually becoming the archdeacon of the area. Inevitably Johnson became involved in helping the local people with their medical problems – professional medical help being impossible to come by – the nearest facility being at Dundee, a difficult 52 km journey.

He was, by Anthony Barker’s account, a formidable tooth puller. Johnson was the first in the area to minister to the sick. This he did at the mission station at Masotsheni. Johnson himself was responsible for setting up the mission station at Masotsheni as well as most of the church buildings in the area at the time.