By Rosana Philander
It was a funeral like none. Humble, simple and yet beautiful. On his casket made out of pine wood only laid one bunch of cream flowers. It was a testimony to the fact that he did not want an elaborate funeral. This one could say was evident to the life Archbishop Desmond Tutu lived. In all tributes to his life, he was saluted for what he did in contributing to building the South African nation.
It was a category one funeral with religious characteristics as President Cyril Ramaphosa described it. Also in attendance at his funeral which happened at the St Georges Cathedral in Cape Town, South Africa, were former South African President Thabo Mbeki, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka former deputy President, Graca Machel, Dr Ramphele Mamphela and Mary Robinson the former President of Ireland.
After Nelson Mandela, Tutu became the second South African to win the Nobel Peace Prize for Peace. This was for his efforts for dismantling oppressive rule in apartheid South Africa.
Ramaphosa said: “He was the rarest of souls who became a global icon. The Archbishop was someone of great moral stature. He was of service to humanity and a crusader in the struggle for freedom and peace in South Africa and around the world. He and Jakes Gerwel were defiant in the fight against apartheid. He had an over-arching impact as tributes from around the world poured in for him. He stood up for the oppressed and spoke for those who could not speak.
“After years of democracy, what we achieved in South Africa that was nothing short of a miracle. He helped steer our nation through a challenging and painful period. Madiba was the father of the nation and Archbishop was the spiritual father of our nation. We were blessed with two Nobel Peace Prize laureates. He was our moral compass and saw our country as a rainbow nation. The Archbishop left a formidable legacy. We say a heartfelt good bye and we salute him for all he did for building this nation. He has left the world a better place. We remember him with a smile. Farewell father servant of God.”
Dr Rev. Allan Boesak who is a longstanding friend of Archbishop Tutu and who were both part of the United Democratic Front, described him as a visionary leader, when he became the general secretary of South African Council of Churches. “I knew him for over 40 years and we loved him very much. When I spoke at his 90th birthday, it was the highest honour of my life. I can speak of a man of faith and shared compassion for everyone. I saw him cry over what was happening in our country during apartheid. I spoke to him during his 90th birthday celebrations. I can say that he died with hope in his heart for this country,” he said.
South African musician born Jonathan Butler now based in the US, said he was glad to be back home. “I remember hearing him sing for the first time. The first time I met him, when we were on our way to Robben Island. I feel so proud to be South African in America,” he said.
Mamphela who is the former vice-chancellor of the University of Cape Town (UCT), said the Archbishop would have approved of the simplicity of his funeral. “He lived a real life of service. He has shown by example by living such a life. His final teaching was, was to show the world the simplicity of funerals,” Mamphela said.
Beyond the glowing funeral tributes from people who were close to the south African icon, we can throw in a biographical sketch to have better insight about the life he lived.
Desmond Tutu was born October 7 1931 of Xhosa and Tswana parents. He Was educated in South Africa mission schools where his father taught. It is said that he wanted a medical career but could not afford the training and instead chose to become a school teacher in 1955. He abandoned teaching in 1957 and attended the St Peters Theological College in Johannesburg. He was ordained an Anglican priest in 1961. He then moved to London in 1966 where he obtained MA from Kings College. Between 1972 to 1975, he served as an associate director of World Council of Churches, from 1976 to 1978 Tutu served as Bishop of Lesotho.