Names: Tutu, Mpilo Desmond
Born: 7 October 1931, Klerksdorp, North West Province: South Africa
In Summary: Cleric, anti-apartheid activist, Nobel laureate and former Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
Desmond Tutu was born in Klerksdorp on 7 October 1931. As a youngster he attended mission schools in Klerksdorp. His father was a teacher, who was educated at Madibane High School. In 1954 Tutu completed a teaching diploma from the Pretoria Bantu Normal College and later a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Africa (UNISA).
After three years in the teaching profession Tutu quit in protest against the deteriorating standard of Black education. This was due to the implementation of the Bantu Education Act of 1953, which reduced Black education to second rate. He decided to become a priest and enrolled at St Peter's Theological College. He was ordained as a deacon in 1960, and became a priest in 1961. In 1962 he moved to London, where he completed his Honours and Masters degrees in the Arts in 1966.
Tutu then returned to South Africa and taught at the Federal Theological Seminary at Alice in the Eastern Cape. The Federal Theological Seminary was taken over by the state and, with his strong critical views against the apartheid government, Tutu decided to leave his position. In 1970 he was offered a lecturing position at Roma University in Lesotho.This was followed by an appointment as Associate Director of the Theological Fund of the World Council of Churches in Kent, London. He returned to South Africa in 1975 to take up a post as the Anglican Dean of Johannesburg.
Between 1976 and 1978 Tutu was the Bishop of the Anglican Church in Lesotho and the Secretary-General of the South African Council of Churches. He has been arrested by the South African government and at times his passport was confiscated, barring him from travelling overseas. He was known by many as the barefoot 'waif' who strayed onto the path of greatness and in a gesture of faith and courage, armed only with the bible under his arm, Tutu would confront the forces of South African repression (usually the SAP) during their attempts to break up a demonstrations.
Between 1976 and 1978 Tutu was the Bishop of the Anglican Church in Lesotho and the Secretary-General of the South African Council of Churches. He has been arrested by the South African government and at times his passport was confiscated, barring him from travelling overseas. He was known by many as the barefoot 'waif' who strayed onto the path of greatness and in a gesture of faith and courage, armed only with the bible under his arm, Tutu would confront the forces of South African repression (usually the SAP) during their attempts to break up a demonstrations.
On 16 October 1984, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize award for his untiring effort in calling for the end to minority rule in South Africa, the unbanning of liberation organisations and the release of political prisoners.
On 7 September 1986 Tutu was ordained as the Archbishop of Cape Town, thus becoming the first Black person to lead the Anglican Church of the Province of Southern Africa (1986-1996). Tutu is the recipient of the Order for Meritorious Service Award (Gold) presented by President Nelson Mandela in 1996.
In 1995 Tutu was appointed chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which was put into place to deal with the atrocities of the past. He retired as Archbishop of Cape Town in 1996 to devote all his time to the work of the TRC. A year later Tutu announced that he would undergo several months of treatment in the United States for prostate cancer, but continued to work with the commission.
On 7 September 1986 Tutu was ordained as the Archbishop of Cape Town, thus becoming the first Black person to lead the Anglican Church of the Province of Southern Africa (1986-1996). Tutu is the recipient of the Order for Meritorious Service Award (Gold) presented by President Nelson Mandela in 1996.
In 1995 Tutu was appointed chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which was put into place to deal with the atrocities of the past. He retired as Archbishop of Cape Town in 1996 to devote all his time to the work of the TRC. A year later Tutu announced that he would undergo several months of treatment in the United States for prostate cancer, but continued to work with the commission.
Tutu coined the phrase ‘Rainbow Nation’ and firmly believes in the possibility of interracial harmony in South Africa.
To this day, Tutu travels extensively and leads a full life even though he is still suffering from cancer.
He is currently deeply distressed about the human rights abuses in Burma and he has called for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi.
He repeatedly appealed for peace in Zimbabwe and compared the actions of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's government to those of the South African apartheid regime. Tutu is highly revered for his knowledge, views and experience, especially in the reconciliation process.
Within South Africa health issues are of deep concern to him, HIV/AIDS and TB in particular, while he also speaks out on moral political questions.
Tutu is married to Leah Nomalizo Shinxani and they have four children. Their family home is in Soweto but the Archbishop’s office is in Cape Town, where he and his wife also have a home and where the public ministry of the Archbishop is located.
He holds honorary degrees from a large number of Universities throughout the world.
Archbishop Tutu is best known for his belief in the possibility of ultimate interracial harmony - a conviction that becomes a feat when considering his personal history.
In 1962, apartheid reached the church. White academics could no longer teach black clergymen, and black academics were needed to fill the gap. Tutu’s teaching experience, his two degrees, and his conscientiousness made him an ideal candidate for this duty, though he lacked a master’s degree. In order to fill this gap, he left South Africa in 1962 to pursue a master’s degree at King’s College at London University.
He returned to his homeland in 1967 and continued with his mission of teaching black clergy. In 1976, Tutu reached religious prominence and was consecrated as the bishop of Lesotho, an independent enclave within South Africa. The positive events in Tutu’s life were not matched by events at home. A month before his consecration, Soweto, a black community near South Africa’s capital, Johannesburg, exploded in violence as 15,000 schoolchildren took to the streets. They were angry that Afrikaans, instead of English - their typical language of instruction — would be used to teach some of their classes. More than 600 people were killed.
Tutu did not return to South Africa until 1977, when he was asked to speak at the funeral of black activist Steven Biko, who died in police custody. Biko’s death was a turning point for Tutu, and he came to the conclusion that the church had to play a political role if apartheid was to be conquered without bloodshed.
In 1978, he accepted a position as general secretary of the South African Council of Churches (SACC), a 10-year-old organization with a decidedly political bent. The position gave Tutu increased media exposure, and he began to speak on talk shows around the world, pushing for economic sanctions against South Africa. In reaction, the South African government revoked his passport in 1979.
Tutu was just one of many voices in South Africa and abroad that called for sanctions, but his support for them helped legitimize what some considered a radical form of protest. The sanctions, eventually supported by much of the world, had a strong effect on South Africa. By the 1980s, the country’s economy was stagnant due to a critical shortage of investment capital, and diplomatic pressure led to the dismantling of apartheid. In 1982, Tutu’s isolation became a worldwide embarrassment for South Africa, when Columbia University’s president travelled to South Africa to present Tutu with an honorary degree. It was only the third time this precedent had been broken in the famed university’s 244-year history.
In 1962, apartheid reached the church. White academics could no longer teach black clergymen, and black academics were needed to fill the gap. Tutu’s teaching experience, his two degrees, and his conscientiousness made him an ideal candidate for this duty, though he lacked a master’s degree. In order to fill this gap, he left South Africa in 1962 to pursue a master’s degree at King’s College at London University.
He returned to his homeland in 1967 and continued with his mission of teaching black clergy. In 1976, Tutu reached religious prominence and was consecrated as the bishop of Lesotho, an independent enclave within South Africa. The positive events in Tutu’s life were not matched by events at home. A month before his consecration, Soweto, a black community near South Africa’s capital, Johannesburg, exploded in violence as 15,000 schoolchildren took to the streets. They were angry that Afrikaans, instead of English - their typical language of instruction — would be used to teach some of their classes. More than 600 people were killed.
Tutu did not return to South Africa until 1977, when he was asked to speak at the funeral of black activist Steven Biko, who died in police custody. Biko’s death was a turning point for Tutu, and he came to the conclusion that the church had to play a political role if apartheid was to be conquered without bloodshed.
In 1978, he accepted a position as general secretary of the South African Council of Churches (SACC), a 10-year-old organization with a decidedly political bent. The position gave Tutu increased media exposure, and he began to speak on talk shows around the world, pushing for economic sanctions against South Africa. In reaction, the South African government revoked his passport in 1979.
Tutu was just one of many voices in South Africa and abroad that called for sanctions, but his support for them helped legitimize what some considered a radical form of protest. The sanctions, eventually supported by much of the world, had a strong effect on South Africa. By the 1980s, the country’s economy was stagnant due to a critical shortage of investment capital, and diplomatic pressure led to the dismantling of apartheid. In 1982, Tutu’s isolation became a worldwide embarrassment for South Africa, when Columbia University’s president travelled to South Africa to present Tutu with an honorary degree. It was only the third time this precedent had been broken in the famed university’s 244-year history.
Tutu found himself in the spotlight once again in 1984, when he became South Africa’s second black Nobel Peace laureate. He once more used the increased exposure to push for sanctions. South Africa’s first Nobel peace laureate, 1961 winner Albert Luthuli, had been restricted to his remote Zululand village immediately on his return from Norway. A month after winning the Nobel, Tutu was elected the first black Anglican bishop of Johannesburg. In 1986 Tutu was elected Archbishop of Cape Town, the highest position in the Anglican Church in South Africa.
Now South Africa’s highest-ranking Anglican cleric, Tutu denounced the White government’s failure to make fundamental changes in apartheid as another wave of violence swept his nation. As the country went into elections in 1989, Tutu boldly engaged in a nationwide defiance campaign, leading a march to a whites-only beach, where he and supporters who were chased off with whips. Soon after, F. W. de Klerk was elected the new president of South Africa on the strength of his pledge to speed reforms and abolish apartheid.
At the end of 1993, de Klerk’s promises came to fruition as South Africa’s first all-race elections were announced. On April 27, 1994 South Africans elected a new president, the country’s most prominent black man, Nelson Mandela, and apartheid was finally over. But Tutu’s job continued. In 1995, he was appointed chair of the South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a group that investigates apartheid-era crimes.
He retired as Archbishop of Cape Town in 1996 to devote his full energies to the commission. In 1997, Tutu announced that he would undergo several months of treatment in the United States for prostate cancer. He has continued to work with the commission
He retired as Archbishop of Cape Town in 1996 to devote his full energies to the commission. In 1997, Tutu announced that he would undergo several months of treatment in the United States for prostate cancer. He has continued to work with the commission
Mpilo Desmond Tutu - Timeline
1931
October 7, Desmond Mpilo Tutu is born in Klerksdorp, in the then Transvaal province of South Africa.
1961
Desmond Tutu is ordained as a minister in the Anglican Church.
1981
Quote: "History, like beauty, depends largely on the beholder, so when you read that, for example, David Livingstone discovered the Victoria Falls, you might be forgiven for thinking that there was nobody around the Falls until Livingstone arrived on the scene." From Desmond Tutu's speech "Fortieth Anniversary of the Republic?"
1984
October 16, Desmond Tutu is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his endeavours for a non-violent end to apartheid.
November, Quote: 'Freedom and liberty lose out by default because good people are not vigilant'
from Hope and Suffering: Sermons and Speeches
from Hope and Suffering: Sermons and Speeches
1985
January 3, "For goodness sake, will they hear, will white people hear what we are trying to say? Please, all we are asking you to do is recognise that we are humans too."
New York Times.
New York Times.
January 9, "I am not interested in picking up crumbs of compassion thrown from the table of someone who considers himself my master. I want the full menu of human rights"
Today, NBC
Today, NBC
1986
June 8, "We who advocate peace are becoming an irrelevance when we speak peace. The government speaks rubber bullets, live bullets, tear gas, police dogs, detention, and death" Sunday Times Magazine UK
Desmond Tutu is ordained the first black South African Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town.
“Your president is the pits as far as blacks are concerned. I think the West, for my part, can go to hell.” - Desmond Tutu, after Ronald Reagan on July 22, 1986, called proposed sanctions against South Africa a “historic act of folly.”
1995
1996
Desmond Tutu retires as Archbishop of Cape Town.
June 8, "There are different kinds of justice. Retributive justice is largely Western. The African underTutustanding is far more restorative - not so much to punish as to redress or restore a balance that has been knocked askew." from "Recovering from Apartheid", in The New Yorker.
1999
"Ubuntu is very difficult to render into a Western language... It is to say, 'My humanity is caught up, is inextricably bound up, in what is yours.'" Desmond Tutu, in his book No Future Without Forgiveness.
2002
"People are scared in this country [the US], to say wrong is wrong because the Jewish lobby is powerful - very powerful." Desmond Tutu (freerepublic.com)
Early 2003
"To travel only blocks in his own homeland, a grandfather waits on the whim of a teenage soldier. More than an emergency is needed to get to a hospital; less than a crime earns a trip to jail. The lucky ones have a permit to leave their squalor to work in Israel's cities, but their luck runs out when security closes all checkpoints, paralysing an entire people. The indignities, dependence and anger are all too familiar." Desmond Tutu (as reported by rhodonpublicaffairs.blogspot.com)
2004
June 12, "I wanted to become a doctor, a physician, and I was admitted to medical school, but my family did not have the money for fees. So I ended up becoming a teacher. I stopped being a teacher when the South African Government introduced a deliberately inferior education for blacks called Bantu education, and I felt I wasn't ready to collaborate with this apology for an educational system. Our children, the 1976 kids who revolted against apartheid in Soweto, called it "gutter education," and it was gutter education. I left teaching. Of course, I didn't have too many option, and mercifully, the Bishop of Johannesburg at that time accepted me for training for the priesthood. So I came to the priesthood, as it were, by default."
"I often accompanied my father. I really liked riding with him on his bicycle on Saturdays. He was very fond of fishing. I don't think I liked fishing. I mean, you had to sit quietly and still, but I enjoyed the ride. And it was fun, it was fun. I mean, as I say, you didn't go around lugging a deep sense of resentment. We knew, yes, we were deprived. It wasn't the same thing for white kids, but it was as full a life as you could make it. I mean, we made toys for ourselves with wires, making cars, and you really were exploding with joy!"
2006
October, "I am always intrigued because if you will notice, Zapiro always draws my nose peeping into my mouth. A very big thank you to the Trust and University. I am deeply touched and lack words to express my appreciation" - Desmond Tutu on receiving a Zapiro cartoon as a present for his 75th birthday.
Desmond Tutu interviewed by Time magazine:
What's the best thing about life at 75?
Tutu: "Looking back and now saying, 'Hey, we are free!' And realizing it is possible for good to overcome evil and to know that we can do it together."
In 1998, you told the Archbishop of Canterbury that you were ashamed to be Anglican when the church failed to liberalize its attitudes toward gay clergy. Do you still feel that way?
Tutu: "Yes. For me, there doesn't seem to be a difference at all with how I felt when people were being clobbered for something about which they could do nothing — their race. I can't believe that the Jesus Christ I worship would be on the side of those who persecute an already persecuted minority. That we should be tearing ourselves apart on this issue of human sexuality when the world faces such devastating problems as poverty, AIDS and conflict seems as if we are fiddling whilst our Rome is burning."
How close is South Africa to realizing your dream of uniting as a "rainbow people of God"?
Tutu: "Reconciliation is a long process. We don't have the kind of race clashes that we thought would happen. What we have is xenophobia, and it's very distressing. But maybe you ought to be lenient with us. We've been free for just 12 years."
You and Nelson Mandela have quibbled over fashion in the past. For the record, who's the better dresser?
Tutu: "Modesty prevents me from saying what I really think. But... his sartorial taste is the pits! [Laughs] He's such a lovely guy, but he was nasty to me when I publicly commented on it. He said the critique was pretty amusing coming from a man who wears a dress! "
Tutu: "Looking back and now saying, 'Hey, we are free!' And realizing it is possible for good to overcome evil and to know that we can do it together."
In 1998, you told the Archbishop of Canterbury that you were ashamed to be Anglican when the church failed to liberalize its attitudes toward gay clergy. Do you still feel that way?
Tutu: "Yes. For me, there doesn't seem to be a difference at all with how I felt when people were being clobbered for something about which they could do nothing — their race. I can't believe that the Jesus Christ I worship would be on the side of those who persecute an already persecuted minority. That we should be tearing ourselves apart on this issue of human sexuality when the world faces such devastating problems as poverty, AIDS and conflict seems as if we are fiddling whilst our Rome is burning."
How close is South Africa to realizing your dream of uniting as a "rainbow people of God"?
Tutu: "Reconciliation is a long process. We don't have the kind of race clashes that we thought would happen. What we have is xenophobia, and it's very distressing. But maybe you ought to be lenient with us. We've been free for just 12 years."
You and Nelson Mandela have quibbled over fashion in the past. For the record, who's the better dresser?
Tutu: "Modesty prevents me from saying what I really think. But... his sartorial taste is the pits! [Laughs] He's such a lovely guy, but he was nasty to me when I publicly commented on it. He said the critique was pretty amusing coming from a man who wears a dress! "
Quote: "It was fairly straightforward that one of the things we had to do was to seek to establish a moral position. The second was maintaining the morale of our people. Telling our people 'your cause is a just cause.' This is, in fact, a moral universe. We're going to win."
Quote: "People who call pacifists weak, that's not the case. Actually you go into confrontation. You confront violent people without weapons and your confrontation draws out their violence as it did in Birmingham with the dogs as it did in South Africa with the dogs. And that worked beautifully in Capetown in those few months. It was called the Defiance Campaign. The police violence, which was normally confined to black townships, was exported into the city. There was a particular evening, in which the Anglican Cathedral went to a judge to seek an order to stop the police from beating people up indiscriminately on the streets. Well, the police lawyer had considerable difficulty persuading the judge not to grant the order when the judges own clerk had been beaten up on the way to court to hear the case that evening."
2006
November, Quote: "The reprisal against the suicide bomber does not bring peace. There is a suicide bomber, a reprisal and then a counter-reprisal. And it just goes on and on."
November 28, On whether PW Botha is now in heaven or in hell: "God is the only one who decides. I hope his soul rests in peace."
On whether PW Botha had received adequate recognition for his role as a reformer: "I think we shouldn't be dismissive of anybody. I always reckon that each one of us has the capacity to become a saint, anyone and everyone. I'm willing to acknowledge whatever initiatives he may have taken. But I think that he will be remembered mostly for his ... he was granite-like, you know. And the finger-wagging. Those are the things people are going to remember him for."
On whether PW Botha had received adequate recognition for his role as a reformer: "I think we shouldn't be dismissive of anybody. I always reckon that each one of us has the capacity to become a saint, anyone and everyone. I'm willing to acknowledge whatever initiatives he may have taken. But I think that he will be remembered mostly for his ... he was granite-like, you know. And the finger-wagging. Those are the things people are going to remember him for."
2007
March 16, "We Africans should hang our heads in shame. How can what is happening in Zimbabwe elicit hardly a word of concern let alone condemnation from us leaders of Africa? After the horrible things done to hapless people in Harare, has come the recent crackdown on members of the opposition ... what more has to happen before we who are leaders, religious and political, of our mother Africa are moved to cry out 'Enough is enough?"
MPILO DESMOND TUTU - AWARDS
Archbishop Desmond Tutu is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
Archbishop Mpilo Desmond Tutu, world renowned preacher and strident voice against apartheid, first Black Secretary General of the South African Council of Churches, first Black Archbishop of the Anglican Church in South Africa, Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
The award recognised his unifying role in the fight against apartheid. The Nobel Peace Prize Committee made specific mention of his part in the transition to democracy in South Africa. Despite sustained government harassment he was a staunch advocate of reconciliation between Blacks and Whites. Notwithstanding this significant award and congratulatory messages from governments across the globe, it was never celebrated by the South African government. This award pressured President P. W. Botha 's regime by its recognition of a visionary in the South African liberation struggle. Instead, Botha called Tutu a political preacher, undeserving of the award.
At the time, Tutu joined Chief Albert Luthuli, also a persistent critic of apartheid, as South Africa's second Nobel Peace Prize laureate. One of Tutu's earliest acts against apartheid was when he quit his teaching post in protest against the Bantu Education Act of 1953 designed to drastically reduce the education standards of Black South Africans.
Other awards
Selection from Desmond Tutu's Awards and Honours
1978 –Honorary Doctorate of Divinity, General Theological Seminary, USA.
1979– Honorary D.C. L., Harvard.
1980 – Prix d'Athene prize, Onassis Foundation, Greece.
1981 – Honorary Doctorate of Theology, Ruhr University, Bochum, West Germany.
1981 – Honorary Doctorate of Divinity, Aberdeen University, Scotland.
1981 – Newsmaker of the year, Southern African Society of Journalists.
1982 – Honorary Doctorate of sacred Theology, Columbia University.
1984 – Nobel Peace Prize, Norway.
1984 – Martin Luther King Jnr Humanitarian Award.
1986 – Ordained as the Archbishop of Cape Town.
1987-97 – President All Africa Conferences of Churches.
1988 – Chancellor of the University of Western Cape.
1989 – Joint recipient Third World Prize.
1996 – Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town.
1996 – Order for meritorious Service (Gold) from State President, Nelson Mandela.
1989 – Robert R Woodruff Visiting Professor, Candler School of Theology.
1992 – Bishop John T. Walker Distinguished Humanitarian Award.
1998 – Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour from French President Jacques Chirac.
1999-2001 William R Cannon Visiting Distinguished Professor Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, USA.
2002 – Visiting Professor, The Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
2007 – Honorary Doctorate in Education, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, for his fight for equal education for all children in South Africa.
2007 – Headed a group of statesmen known as The Elders to Khartoum, seeking to help peace efforts in Darfur.
1979– Honorary D.C. L., Harvard.
1980 – Prix d'Athene prize, Onassis Foundation, Greece.
1981 – Honorary Doctorate of Theology, Ruhr University, Bochum, West Germany.
1981 – Honorary Doctorate of Divinity, Aberdeen University, Scotland.
1981 – Newsmaker of the year, Southern African Society of Journalists.
1982 – Honorary Doctorate of sacred Theology, Columbia University.
1984 – Nobel Peace Prize, Norway.
1984 – Martin Luther King Jnr Humanitarian Award.
1986 – Ordained as the Archbishop of Cape Town.
1987-97 – President All Africa Conferences of Churches.
1988 – Chancellor of the University of Western Cape.
1989 – Joint recipient Third World Prize.
1996 – Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town.
1996 – Order for meritorious Service (Gold) from State President, Nelson Mandela.
1989 – Robert R Woodruff Visiting Professor, Candler School of Theology.
1992 – Bishop John T. Walker Distinguished Humanitarian Award.
1998 – Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour from French President Jacques Chirac.
1999-2001 William R Cannon Visiting Distinguished Professor Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, USA.
2002 – Visiting Professor, The Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
2007 – Honorary Doctorate in Education, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, for his fight for equal education for all children in South Africa.
2007 – Headed a group of statesmen known as The Elders to Khartoum, seeking to help peace efforts in Darfur.
References:
- Wallis, F. (2000). Nuusdagboek: feite en fratse oor 1000 jaar, Kaapstad: Human & Rousseau .
- Fraser, R. (1984). Keesing's Record of World Events, Longman: London, p. 33253.
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