Barack Obama, the Queen and the Archbishop of Canterbury are among those paying tribute to Desmond Tutu, who helped to end apartheid in South Africa.
ITV News Global Security Editor and former Africa Correspondent Rohit Kachroo reflects on the humour, vigour and courage of 'The Arch'Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist for racial justice and LGBT rights
“From the pavements of resistance in South Africa to the pulpits of the world’s great cathedrals and places of worship, and the prestigious setting of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, the Arch distinguished himself as a non-sectarian, inclusive champion of universal human rights,” he added. “Archbishop Tutu’s loss will be felt by the people of South Africa, and by so many people in Great Britain, Northern Ireland and across the Commonwealth, where he was held in such high affection and esteem.”“He was a critical figure in the fight against apartheid and in the struggle to create a new South Africa – and will be remembered for his spiritual leadership and irrepressible good humour,” he said.
Throughout the 1980s - when South Africa was gripped by anti-apartheid violence and a state of emergency giving police and the military sweeping powers - Tutu was one of the most prominent black people able to speak out against abuses. With the end of apartheid and South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994, Tutu celebrated the country’s multi-racial society, calling it a “rainbow nation,” a phrase that captured the heady optimism of the moment.
“I would refuse to go to a homophobic heaven. No, I would say, ‘Sorry, I would much rather go to the other place.’”
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