Desmond Tutu, a South African Anglican Archbishop (1931-2021) who died at the age of 90, was the moral compass of his beloved "Rainbow Nation," never afraid to speak the truth to power, regardless of creed or colour.

He was a tireless activist who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his efforts to end white minority rule in his country. Tutu was famously outspoken, and even after the racist apartheid regime fell, he never shied away from confronting South Africa's shortcomings or injustices.

"It's a great privilege, a great honour that people think your name can make a small difference," he told Agence France-Presse (AFP) in 2011, shortly before his 80th birthday.

His high-profile campaigns were thorny and often unwelcome, whether he was taking on his church over gay rights, lobbying for Palestinian statehood, or calling out South Africa's ruling African National Congress on corruption. None were spared, including Tutu's close friend, late President Nelson Mandela, with whom he sparred in 1994 over the African National Congress' "gravy train mentality."

Nonetheless, "the Arch" brought an exuberant sense of playfulness to all of his endeavours. He was always ready to dance and laugh uproariously with an infectious cackle that became his trademark, and he was quick to crack jokes – often at his own expense.

When Mandela became president, Tutu coined and popularized the term "Rainbow Nation" to describe South Africa. Tutu was the first black Anglican archbishop of Cape Town at the time.

He was ordained at the age of 30 and appointed Archbishop in 1986, and he used his position to advocate for international sanctions against apartheid, and later to lobby for human rights around the world.

A Moral Titan

Along the way, he gained a slew of fans "I believe that God is waiting for the archbishop. He is waiting to welcome Desmond Tutu with open arms," said Nelson Mandela (1918-2013), who stayed at Tutu's home on his first night of freedom in 1990, after 27 years in apartheid jails.

"If Desmond gets to heaven and is denied entry, none of the rest of us will be able to enter!" Tutu was referred to as the Dalai Lama's "spiritual older brother" by the Dalai Lama. 

Bob Geldof, an Irish activist and pop star, praised him as annoyance for those in power, US President Barack Obama called him a "moral titan." Pope Francis expressed his condolences on the death of this beloved leader, and in his Encyclical Fratelli Tutti, he cites Archbishop Desmond Tutu, among others, as an inspiration for his encyclical.

Tutu's detractors included Zimbabwe's veteran former president Robert Mugabe, who called him an "evil and embittered little bishop." Despite his international celebrity, his faith remained a central part of his life.

His family's road trips included quiet time for prayers, and his missives denouncing apartheid's evils were signed off with "God bless you." "I developed tremendous respect for his fearlessness. It wasn't fearlessness of a wild kind. It was fearlessness anchored in his deep faith in God," said apartheid's last leader, F.W. de Klerk.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission

He had retired a year before to lead the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on a harrowing journey into South Africa's brutal past. For 30 months, the commission kept the horrors of apartheid under wraps. Tutu, with his natural humanity, broke down and sobbed during one of the first hearings.

He was the recipient of numerous awards, and his causes ranged from child marriage to Tibet to calls for Western leaders to be tried for their roles in the Iraq war, and, later, the right to die.

Post-Apartheid Frustrations

Born in the small town of Klerksdorp, west of Johannesburg, on October 7, 1931, Tutu was the son of a domestic worker and a school teacher. Following in his father's footsteps, he trained as a teacher before anger at the inferior education system set up for black children prompted him to become a priest.

He lived for a while in Britain, where, he recalled, he would needlessly ask for directions just to be called "Sir" by a white policeman. Tutu believed firmly in the reconciliation of black and white South Africans. "I am walking on clouds. It is an incredible feeling, like falling in love. We, South Africans are going to be the Rainbow People of the world," he said in 1994.

However, post-apartheid South Africa became a source of his despair as the early days of democracy gave way to disillusionment with violence, inequality, and graft. Tutu, who was never a member of the African National Congress, declared in 2013 that he would no longer vote for the party, though President Cyril Ramaphosa, an old friend, re-built bridges after taking office in 2018.

Tutu made a rare public appearance in May 2021 to receive his Covid-19 vaccine. He appeared outside the hospital in a wheelchair, waved, but said nothing.

Conclusion

Archbishop was a man of conviction, courage and faith. He was the moral compass not only for South Africa but for the world. We need such brave and committed leaders today, who can lead the world to the path of justice, truth and fairness. In the genuine sense of faith and morals. May his life and message be an inspiration for all faith leaders!