How you can pay tribute to Desmond Tutu

Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus and Nobel Peace Laureate, emerges from the Brooklyn Chest Hospital, after being vaccinated against COVID 19, in Cape Town, on May 17, 2021. This is the first day of the mainstream COVID 19 vaccination process in various parts of South Africa. (Photo by RODGER BOSCH / AFP)

Tutu ‘The Arch’: SA’s moral compass, guiding light through dark times

While his rise in the Anglican church is noteworthy, it was his activisim during the struggle that earned Desmond Tutu global status

How you can pay tribute to Desmond Tutu

Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus and Nobel Peace Laureate, emerges from the Brooklyn Chest Hospital, after being vaccinated against COVID 19, in Cape Town, on May 17, 2021. This is the first day of the mainstream COVID 19 vaccination process in various parts of South Africa. (Photo by RODGER BOSCH / AFP)

South Africa and the greater global community is mourning the loss of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who passed away at the age of 90 on Sunday, 26 December 2021. Tutu is considered a global icon, particularly for his role in opposing apartheid and being a voice for the voiceless. News of his death was confirmed by the Presidency.

Tutu’s efforts to promote peace and goodwill, both pre and post-apartheid is what earned him international status as well as a Nobel Peace Prize.But decades before being recognised as one of the world’s leading moral compasses, Tutu was just an ordinary black boy growing up in Klerksdorp.

WHO WAS ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU?

Desmond Mpilo Tutu was born in Klerksdorp on 7 October 1931, to Xhosa and Tswana parents. Long before receiving the calling to become a man of the cloth, Tutu was a teacher in 1955. Studying Education was not Tutu’s first choice – he had wanted to pursue a career as a doctor, but could not afford it. He then resigned from his job in 1957.

He married his wife Leah Tutu the same year he became and educator. They have four children: Trevor Thamsanqa, Theresa Thandeka, Naomi Nontombi and Mpho Andrea.

He then attended St. Peter’s Theological College in Johannesburg and was ordained an Anglican priest in 1961. A year later he moved to London, where in 1966 he obtained an M.A. from King’s College London. Tutu rose through the ranks, becoming an associate director for the World Council of Churches. In 1975, he became the first Black South African to be appointed dean of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Johannesburg in 1975.

While Tutu’s rise in the Anglican Church is noteworthy, it was his work during the struggle that really gained him recognition. It was during South Africa’s era that he used his voice to challenge the apartheid system and bringing it to the attention of the international community. Like other prominent figures, he called on developed countries to impose economic sanctions on South Africa and stressed the need for non-violent protests. In 1984, he was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.