Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the anti-apartheid icon died at 90, and his death was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday.
Prior to his death, he reportedly said he had prepared for his death and has made it clear that he does not wish to be kept alive at all costs.
Also, one reason for his regular hospitalization was an infection resulting from the prostate cancer treatment he has been receiving for over 24 years.
In this article, I will list out 7 things you probably did not know about him.
1.) Tutu received many international accolades during his long and illustrious life, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984; the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism in 1986; the Pacem in Terris Award in 1987; the Sydney Peace Prize in 1999; the Gandhi Peace Prize in 2007; and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.
2.) In 1975 he was appointed Dean of St Mary’s Cathedral in Johannesburg, the first black person to hold that position. From 1976 to 1978 he was Bishop of Lesotho.
3.) In 1978, he became the first black general secretary of the South African Council of Churches.
4.) After the fall of apartheid, Tutu headed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
5.) He retired as Archbishop of Cape Town in 1996 after serving in that capacity for 10 years, and was made emeritus Archbishop of Cape Town, an honorary title that is unusual in the Anglican church.
6.) In September 2019, the world got its first proper look at Prince Harry and Meghan’s baby son when the pair relished their meeting with Tutu in Cape Town, a photograph of which they shared on their official Instagram as “Arch, meet Archie.”
7.) Tutu was married to Leah, whom he met at college, and shared four children with.
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