Dili, 29 december 2021 (TATOLI) – The Government of Timor-Leste extended a vote of condolence for the death of South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, which calls for respect and recognition for his contribution to the struggle for justice, freedom, and human rights.
“The Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste on behalf of people of Timor-Leste, and those who felt the loss of Desmond Tutu extend deepest condolences to the family, the people of South Africa on the passing of Archbishop Desmond Tutu,” The Presidency of the Council of Minister, Fidelis Manuel Leite Magalhaes said in a statement released on Tuesday.
“Desmond Tutu’s legacy will last forever, remember as a symbol of the struggle for justice, freedom, and human rights” he added.
Desmond Tutu received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his activism against the racial segregation regime in South Africa.
In the 1990s, he chaired the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a comprehensive process that investigated crimes during the apartheid era and marked an important healing step during South Africa’s transition to democracy. Throughout his life, he was a staunch defender of justice, freedom, and human rights.
The archbishop was born in 1931 in Klerksdorp, South Africa. He was the first professor, then studied theology, becoming the first black Anglican archbishop in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Journalist:Anfoso Do Rosario
Editor: Maria Auxiliadora
Translation: José Belarmino De Sá
