JOHANNESBURG – Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has died at the age of 90.
On Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa issued a statement confirming the death.
The man who coined the phrase “The Rainbow Nation” and was affectionately known as “The Arch” battled prostate cancer for about two decades.
Reverend Desmond Mpilo Tutu was a passionate activist for human rights and human dignity.
Nelson Mandela described him as “sometimes shrill, often tender, never fearful and rarely lacking in humour”, adding that “Desmond Tutu’s voice will always be the voice of the voiceless”.
He fought openly and passionately against oppression, racism, poverty and homophobia.
Born in Klerksdorp in 1931, Tutu, after studying education and theology, became increasingly involved in the struggle against apartheid as a young man and rose to worldwide fame in the 1980s as a as an opponent of the apartheid system.
In 1984, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.
In 1986 Tutu was the first black person to lead the Anglican Church in southern Africa and used his position to fight for peace and justice.
After South Africa finally held its first democratic elections, Tutu was appointed chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), set up to investigate the atrocities of apartheid.
In the years since the end of the TRC, Tutu has continued to speak out on moral and political issues.
In 2007 he helped found The Elders – a group of top world leaders working together for peace and human rights.
In 2009, when Jacob Zuma was to become President of South Africa, Tutu openly stated that he was not looking forward to his presidency.
When the Dalai Lama was forced to cancel his trip to South Africa in 2011 due to controversial visa delays, Tutu again lambasted the government and the ANC.
His criticism of the state led to the controversial Tutu being sidelined when his lifelong friend and global icon Mandela died in 2013 and was not asked to speak at his funeral .
A year later, Tutu made it clear that he would not vote for the ruling party in South Africa’s fifth democratic election.
Tutu is survived by his wife Leah, four children and seven grandchildren.
