Biography of Desmond Mpilo Tutu: South African Archbishop Emeritus

Desmond Tutu na di smiling South African archbishop wey im wonderful personality win am friends and admirers around di world.

As a high-profile black churchman im bin no get choice but to join di struggle against white-minority rule but im always insist say wetin dey drive am na dey religious, not political.

Late President Nelson Mandela bin appoint am to head South Africa Truth and Reconciliation Commission wey dem set up to investigate crimes wey both sides comit during di apartheid era.

Im also get accolade for using di term Rainbow Nation to describe di misture of different tribes for post-apartheid South Africa.

Dem born Desmond Mpilo Tutu for October 1931 for one small gold-mining town wey dat time bin dey Transvaal.

Im first follow im papa footsteps as teacher, but abandon dat career afta goment pass di Bantu Education Act for 1953 wey introduce racial segregation for schools.

Im join church wia many white priests for di kontri strongly influence am, especially anoda strong opponent of apartheid, Bishop Trevor Huddleston.

Im serve as bishop of Lesotho from 1976-78, assistant bishop of Johannesburg and rector of one parish for Soweto, before dem appoint am bishop of Johannesburg.

Na as dean im first begin raise his voice against injustice for South Africa and again from 1977 onwards as general secretary of di South African Council of Churches.

Already as high-profile figure before di 1976 rebellion for black townships, na during di months before di Soweto violence that he first became known to white South Africans first sabi am as campaigner for reform.

Saving suspected police informer

Im efforts lead am to receive di Nobel Peace Prize award for 1984.

Di award bin be like in major snub by international community to South Africa white rulers.

Di den Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Robert Runcie, and Martin Luther King widow bin attend Desmond Tutu posting as Archbishop of Cape Town.

As head of di Anglican Church for South Africa, im continue to campaign actively against apartheid.

For March 1988, he declared: “We refuse make dem treat us as doormat for di goment to wipe dia jackboots.”

Six months later, im risk going to prison by calling for pipo make dem no participate for municipal elections.

Im fond imsef for cloud of tear gas for August 1989, wen police took action against people wey dey leave one church for one township near Cape Town, and di following month dem arrest am for refusing to leave one protest wey gomen bin ban.

As archbishop, im call make dem dem sama South Africa sanctions as punishment touch di whole world, especially as im call also totally condemn violence.

For 1985, Tutu and anoda bishop bravely and dramatically rescued one policeman wey dem suspect be informant as angry group of pipo dey assault am and almost burn am to death for one township east of South Africa main city, Johannesburg.

Di priests pushed through di angry crowd and pull di bleeding, half-conscious man to safe place, just before dem set fire to di tyre wey dem soak inside petrol put around im neck.

Tutu later return to scold di man attackers, reminding dem of “di need to use righteous and just means for righteous and just struggle”.

Tutu warmly welcome di liberalising reforms wey President FW de Klerk announce soon afta im enta office.

Dem include lifting of ban on African National Congress (ANC) and di release of Nelson Mandela for February 1990.

Soon afta, Tutu announce ban wey stop men of God from joining political parties. Oda churches condemn di ban.

On Israel and Palestinians

Im no ever fear to voice im opinions.

For April 1989, wen im go Birmingham for UK, im criticise wetn im call “two-nation” Britain, and say e get too many black pipo for di kontri prisons.

Later im make Israel angry when, during one Christmas pilgrimage to di Holy Land, im compared black South Africans with di Arabs wey dey live for di occupied West Bank and Gaza.

Im say im no fit understand how pipo wey don suffer like di Jews suffer, go make Palestinians suffer.

Desmond Tutu bin be great admirer of Nelson Mandela, but bin no always agree wit am on issues such like di use of violence to pursue just end.

For November 1995, Mandela, by den South Africa president, ask Tutu to head di Truth and Reconciliation Commission, im work na to gather evidence of apartheid-era crimes and recommend weda pipo wey confess go get amnesty.

For di end of di commission inquiry, Tutu attack South Africa former white leaders, say most of dem lie for dia testimony.

Di commission also accuse ANC of committing human rights abuses during im fight against apartheid.

Both sides reject di report.

Reduced to tears

Tutu dey usually feeal di pain of pipo wey don suffer under apartheid and, on more dan one occasion, im bin cry.

Im also find plenty tins to criticise for South Africa new black-majority goment.

Im launch stinging attack on ANC administration wey President Thabo Mbeki bin dey lead.

Im say ANC no do enough to alleviate poverty among di poorest for di kontri and say too much wealth and power concentrate for di hands of few of di new black political elite.

Im later ask Jacob Zuma, who wey dem accuse of sexual crimes and corruption, to abandon im attempt to become president.

Im also bin dey vocal for im condemnation of Robert Mugabe, im once describe di Zimbabwean president as “a cartoon figure of a typical African dictator”. Mugabe, too, describe Tutu as “evil”.

He bin also dey critical of im own Anglican church particularly afta di quarrel on di ordination of gay bishops.

Im na ever di rebel

“God dey cry,” im tok one time wen im accuse di church of allowing dia “obsession” wit homosexuality to take over di fight against world poverty.

Im return to di subject of poverty wen im visit Ireland for 2010.

E tell Western kontris to consider di effect of cuts in overseas donations during di economic down turn.

Tutu formally retire from public life for di same year to, im say, spend more time “drinking red bush tea and watching cricket” dan “for airports and hotels”.

But as per rebel wey im be, he came out to support assisted suicide for 2014, say, life dem no suppose preserve life “at any cost”.

Contrary to di opinion of many church figures, im believe say human beings get di right to choose to die.

Im say im great friend and fellow campaigner Mandela, wey die for December 2013, suffer long and painful illness which for im opinion “na insult to Madiba dignity”.

For 2017, Tutu sharply criticise Myanmar leader and fellow Nobel Peace laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, saying e dey “out of place for a symbol of righteousness” to lead kontri wia di Muslim minority dey face “ethnic cleansing”.

Later dat year, im oppose Donald Trump decision to recognise Jerusalem as di official capital of Israel. “God dey cry,” im write for Twitter, sake of dis “inflammatory & discriminatory” act.

Small man, “di Arch”, as dem take sabi am, bin dey friendly and cheerful, spirit of joy dey pour from am even wit im serious sense of mission.

Im bin dey funny, and im conversation bin dey always dey filled wit laughter.

But more dan dis, Desmond Tutu bin be man of perfectly strong moral beliefs wey try to bring peaceful for South Africa.