South Africa began a week of mourning on Monday for the death of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, an immense symbol of the fight against apartheid but also a warm and charismatic communicator, whose departure leaves the country orphaned.
The 1984 Nobel Peace Prize winner, who died peacefully on Sunday at the age of 90, had disappeared from public life in recent months. But everyone remembers his silhouette, his legendary tenacity and his frankness to speak out against injustices.
President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the family on Monday. "He was brave, sincere and we loved him for it, because he gave a voice to those who don’t have it."declared the head of state to the press as he left Tutu’s house in Cape Town.
His funeral will take place on January 1 at the Cathedral of St. George in Cape Town, his former parish, where despite the rain his fellow citizens continued to arrive on Monday to lay a wreath. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was scheduled to visit the site in the afternoon, according to official sources.
Tutu’s body will rest on Friday in a burning chapel of the cathedral, before being cremated.
As a result of the covid-19, attendance will be limited to a hundred people, the Anglican Church specified in a press conference in which it encouraged the faithful to follow the mass from home.
"When we were young militants, if Archbishop Tutu was present, the police or the army would never shoot at us. Why? We really don’t know. But it served us as a shield"Tweeted Panyaza Lesufi, now a head of the African National Congress (ANC), the party that buried apartheid and remains in power in South Africa.
The "Arch", short for archbishop in English with whom he was affectionately known in his country, "He is the latest in an extraordinarily outstanding generation of African leaders", wrote this Monday the widow of Nelson Mandela, Graça Machel, when greeting "the loss of a brother".
With the "indescribable courage" I had to fight "he remained determined and fearless, leading the demonstrations, with his clerical dress and his crucifix as a shield", he described.
– "A life full of meaning" –
The Anglican church announced a week of commemorations. From this Monday to Friday, the bells of the Cathedral of San Jorge will ring ten minutes from noon to remember it. The Archbishop of Cape Town has asked that those who wish to do so "pause your homework" to think about Tutu.
On Wednesday, the Diocese of Pretoria and the South African Council of Churches will organize a memorial service in the capital. An intimate service is planned for Tutu’s widow on Thursday night, "Mama leah", family and friends.
Tributes continued to come from around the world from many heads of state and religious authorities.
Pope Francis highlighted his role in the "promoting racial equality and reconciliation", and the Dalai Lama, Tutu’s old friend, praised "a great man entirely dedicated to the service of his brothers and sisters".
Desmond Tutu gained his notoriety in the darkest hours of apartheid when he led peaceful marches against segregation and to advocate for sanctions against the Pretoria white supremacy regime.
Unlike other militants of his time, his habits saved him from imprisonment and his peaceful struggle was recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984.
After the arrival of democracy in 1994 and the election of his friend Nelson Mandela as president, Desmond Tutu, which gave South Africa the nickname of "Rainbow nation", chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), created with the hope of turning the page on racial hatred.
.