Johannesburg- The final journey for the man who was the last standing of the four South African Nobel Peace laureates, a respected clergy and human rights activist Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Mpilo Tutu ended yesterday at St George’s Cathedral, an iconic church building standing in the middle of the City of Cape Town.
His mortal remains had been kept the entire night at the church he headed during his tenure as the Archbishop of Cape Town from 1986 to 1996, becoming the first black person to hold the position during the reign of apartheid.
St George’s Cathedral, affectionately called the people’s cathedral to symbolise its role in the resistance of apartheid, will hold the memory of the much-revered religious leader.
It was the only building that the apartheid security branch police respected and never touched as a place of worship.
Political activists would often use the place as a hideout, escaping the wrath of apartheid police.
Located in Cape Town’s Wale Street, St George’s Cathedral is the oldest cathedral in southern Africa. It is the mother church of the diocese.
The funeral service commenced with a heavy downpour, which subsided later in the day.
The rain, according to a respected indigenous African cultural expert professor Jabulani Maphalala, represented a good omen and that the gods were accepting the spirit of the departed.
“In African culture when during a funeral it rains, it is a symbol that the spirit of the one who is gone is being warmly received by their forefathers,” said Maphalala.
“In the religious context, it would mean the heavens are opening and the gods are accepting their son into the spirit world.”
The 90-year-old respected theologian died on December 26 at Cape Town’s Oasis Frail Care Centre.
Various dignitaries, including traditional and political leaders, paid homage to Tutu, whom President Cyril Ramaphosa dubbed South Africa’s spiritual leader.
Mourners came from all walks of life to pay their respects. They, in fact, started arriving at St George’s Cathedral on Thursday, where Tutu’s body was lying in state.
Scores somberly filed past the simple pine-wood coffin, which was representative of the humility of the man who was lying in it.
Some notable faces among the mourners were Princess Mabel van Oranje of the Netherlands, a close confidant of Tutu, South Africa’s former first lady Graca Machel, former prime minister of Ireland Mary Robinson, King of Lesotho Letsie III, former presidents Kgalema Motlanthe and Thabo Mbeki, acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, and CAF president Patrice Motsepe.
During the proceedings, which lasted for about four hours, members of the media were kept at bay as part of observing Covid-19 protocols, keeping to a maximum of 100 people inside the church.
One of Cape Town’s oldest streets, Wale Street, was cordoned off with a strong police presence.
In keeping with his wishes, Tutu’s body was later sent to a crematorium, with only members of the family in attendance.
His remains would later be interred at the church on a date determined by the family.
This too will be a private event.
Tutu’s long-time friend and former Bishop of Natal, Michael Nuttall, said the Arch had “tended the wounds of noble strife, the wounds of Ubuntu”.
“Desmond was not on some crusade of personal aggrandisement or egotism, though he often and disarmingly admitted that he loved to be loved, and what is wrong with that? Do we not all love to be loved? It is a human craving from the moment we are born,” he said.
Delivering the eulogy, President Ramaphosa said Tutu was a distinguished leader and model for democracy.
“For him, opposing injustice, standing up for the oppressed, defying unjust laws, was God’s work. Destiny had anointed him a champion of the immortal cause of justice,” he said.
Earlier in the week, scores of Capetonians and people from different provinces had their chance to bid farewell to the man who believed in the healing and disarming power of laughter.
As he laid in state for two days, members of the public were able to view his coffin and penned messages of support to his bereaved family.
Former University of Cape Town vice-chancellor Dr Mamphela Ramphele said Tutu was at peace with the world and was waiting for his name to be called.
Ramphele was one of the few people who had been by Tutu’s deathbed before he passed on.
Speaking to Sunday World outside the St George’s Cathedral, Ramphele recounted the last moments that she had with the man she describes as her mentor and spiritual father. “He only chuckled and didn’t say anything. You could tell that he was at peace and waiting for that song to be sung and the heavens to call his name,” said Ramphele after the funeral service.
World leaders on Tutu:
African Union Commission:
Moussaka Fak Mahamat A man of faith convinced in the power of reconciliation through restorative justice, the Arch was a true shepherd of peace. May he rest in peace.
UN secretary-general António Guterres
Archbishop Tutu was a towering global figure for peace and an inspiration to generations across the world. During the darkest days of apartheid, he was a shining beacon for social justice, freedom and non-violent resistance.
US President Joe Biden and wife Jill
We were blessed to spend time with him on several occasions over the past many years. His courage and moral clarity helped inspire our commitment to change American policy toward the repressive apartheid regime in South Africa. We felt his warmth and joy when we visited him during the 2010 World Cup that celebrated the diversity and beauty of his beloved nation.
Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader
The friendship and the spiritual bond between us was something we cherished. Archbishop Desmond Tutu was entirely dedicated to serving his brothers and sisters for the greater common good.
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema
Tutu belonged to a generation of selfless African leaders that gallantly challenged the injustices of apartheid and racial subjugation against the African people in South Africa and other marginalised people around the world.
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