Desmond Mpilo Tutu, a South African archbishop, and theologian breathed his last today. Lovingly known as “the arch”, Tutu earned the love and respect of millions of people in the world. He was a tireless campaigner of the Anti-Apartheid movement in South Africa.
Archbishop came from humble beginnings. His father was a headmaster and his mother, a domestic worker. He was deeply influenced by Father Trevor Huddleston who was a strong campaigner against Apartheid, in his early years. He met with his future wife, Nomalizo Leah Shenxane in high school and agreed to a Roman Catholic ceremony despite being Anglican himself. He campaigned fiercely against Apartheid in his lifetime and he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for being a leader in solving the problem of Apartheid in his country.
At the age of 86 years old, Desmond left his retirement home to protest against the removal of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan by then-President Jacob Zuma. He had fought against Apartheid valiantly. Archbishop Tutu was a man of integrity and ethics of human dignity. He was a defender of human rights and always campaigned for the oppressed people across the world. Even when Apartheid formally ended in 1994, he did not stop the campaign for human rights. He spoke against politicians who were corrupt and abused their power. He spoke for what was right including HIV/AIDS, racism, homophobia, and poverty.
His campaigns and protests were not limited to his country, they were spread all over the world. A blunt-speaker who went on to become the first-ever black Bishop of Johannesburg had survived Tuberculosis and was suffering from Prostate Cancer since the late 90s. He extended his unconditional support to Dalai Lama, who was considered his best friend and had condemned his government for not providing exile to the Tibetan leader.
Tutu’s dream of a “Rainbow Nation” could not be fulfilled and he deeply regretted this. He was known for his loud and fearless opinions. His contributions in publishing the struggles of Apartheid all over the world made a powerful impact. Tutu had written seven collections of sermons.
The world has come together to bid adieu to one of the greatest spirits and a leader whose legacy is the dream he had.
The world has lost a brave and courageous leader. His impact will forever be remembered in the works that he did for humanity.