The first thing that crosses my mind when I think of the late Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, is the sense of humility he had. I certainly observed that when I met him in November 1994. We were at a funeral of another human rights activist who was assassinated, professor Johan Heyns.
I was about to greet him and he quickly made sure that he greeted me first, and I was so overwhelmed by such humility from a man of his stature. I cannot forget the role he played in 1985, when an angry mob was about to throw a man who was severely beaten onto his burning vehicle. The man was accused of being a police informer. Risking his life in that atrocious situation, Tutu pleaded with that angry mob not to kill the man.
They listened to him and the man was saved. Tutu was a human rights activist without reservation and he championed peace, unity and justice throughout his life; hence he was awarded the Nobel peace prize.
He emerged as a powerful voice in the fight against Aids, and he also fought for equal rights of the LGBQT+ community inside and outside SA. He was more than an archbishop of the Anglican Church in SA but a man of the people across all spheres of life in the whole world.
He manifested his position so well and taught us that we have to be united, notwithstanding our diversity. It is in that philosophy that he labelled SA as a rainbow nation. His fight for human rights and against any forms of injustice was not only for SA but also beyond its borders. His solidarity with the people of Palestine and Tibet bears testimony to that.
He accommodated and embraced other religions and it was not surprising that he and the head monk of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama, were intimate friends. His book, titled God is not a Christian, also teaches us that God cannot be associated with a particular religion but he is a God above all religions. It was therefore befitting that representatives of other religions were accommodated during his funeral.
A fearless figure in action who was so brave to send a warning message to the then president of the country, Jacob Zuma and the ANC that they must “watch out”, Tutu’s life was also based on simplicity. He ordered that his funeral not be a lavish one and that his coffin be the cheapest.
I hope Tutu’s wishes for his funeral will serve as a lesson, especially to black people, that opting for lavish funerals with expensive coffins is just an unnecessary waste of money. He was also a role model in marriage with his wife Leah. They were together in love and marriage until death parted their company.
Even Tutu’s foundation is named the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, unlike other foundations that are named after one spouse. It shows that their marriage was a true love phenomenon. I pay tribute to the late archbishop as an inspirational and exemplary figure. His legacy will forever be there for generations to come.
Rev Morudu is a Sowetan reader
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