Cape Town – Acting chairperson of the Archbishop Tutu IP Trust, Dr Mamphela Ramphele, says the late Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu lived the core values of ubuntu.
South Africa, and the world as a whole, woke up to the sad news that Tutu passed away in Cape Town on Sunday.
A man who was loved for his compassionate spirit, warm smile and contagious laugh, Ramphele told those gathered at a press briefing held in the Cape Town civic centre that the clergy never allowed circumstances to put a dampener on his love for people around him.
“He was a man who was not given any chance to survive his childhood, because of polio. He didn’t have a chance, people thought, to survive his youth because of tuberculosis.
“And the latter part of his life, for 23 years, he lived with prostate cancer. In all of that, all you heard from him was that chuckle – that joy – that deep sense of gratitude. As we mourn the passing of this great man, we would like South Africa and the world to focus on the teaching moments of this man’s life.
“It is in recognising that whatever his vulnerabilities, he had to use every moment to make sure that people do not suffer whatever he had suffered. He was a great promoter of well-being and healthcare,” Ramphele said.
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille, said Tutu played many roles in people’s lives.
“He was a pastor, he was a spiritual leader, he was an activist, a healer and he also opposed racial discrimination. He had an extraordinary ability to diffuse tension and contain anger. He used humour to convey important messages and had a contagious laugh.”
The Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, Rev Dr Thabo Makgoba said even in pain, Tutu would have laughed and joked.
“We cry with South Africans, we cry with the family. May his soul rest in peace.”
Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said even though he may not have met Tutu in person, the legacy he has left behind will live on.
“We mourn the passing of the greatest Capetonian, the recipient of Freedom of the City honour board, and one of the last giants of our time,” the mayor said.
Born Desmond Mpilo Tutu on October 7, 1931 in Klerksdorp, the Anglican cleric received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1984 for his non-violent role in opposing apartheid in South Africa. On Thursday, the international community joined South Africa in celebrating his milestone 90th birthday.
Political Bureau