DILI, 10 january 2021 (TATOLI) – National Parliament, today, approved a vote of condolences and send heartfelt condolences to the family and all the South African people on the death of Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
The Parliament approves the vote of condolences with 56 votes in favor, zero against, and zero abstentions: “The Vote of Condolences is approved,” the President of the National Parliament announced at the House of Representative, in Dili, on monday.
MP José Agostinho Sequeira ‘Somotxo’ said that the vote of condolences was a recognition of the Archbishop’s contribution to the independence of his country.
“The South African war was similar to Timor-Leste’s struggle. We, therefore, present our vote of condolences for the death of Archbishop Desmond Tutu”, he stressed.
Somotxo said that Archbishop Tutu was a defender of the “Black South African Right” and was an internationally recognized figure.
The Vote of Condolence was proposed by MP José Agostinho Sequeira ‘Somotxo’, Cornélio Gama L7, António de Sá Benevides and MP Francisco Xavier Carlos.
The Government of Timor-Leste had also expressed its condolences to the family and the people of South Africa on the passing away of the Archbishop.
Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu died on december 26th, 2021, at the age of 90, in Cape Town, South Africa.
The Government of Timor-Leste, on behalf of the whole nation, conveys its deep sorrow on the passing away of the South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize winner and symbol of the struggle against apartheid.
Desmond Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his activism against the racial segregation regime in South Africa. In the 1990s, he led the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a comprehensive process that investigated crimes during the apartheid era and marked a crucial healing step during South Africa’s transition from apartheid to democracy. Throughout his life, he was a fierce advocate for justice, freedom, and human rights.
The Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste joins, therefore, all those who feel the loss of Desmond Tutu and presents, on its behalf and behalf of all the Timorese people, its heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and to all the South African people.
The Government Spokesman, Minister Fidelis Magalhães, pointed out that “the legacy of Desmond Tutu will endure forever, being remembered as a symbol of the struggle for justice, freedom, and human rights.”
The archbishop was born in 1931 in Klerksdorp, South Africa. He studied theology, becoming the first black Anglican archbishop of Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Journalist: Afonso do Rosário
Editor: Maria Auxiliadora
Translation: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges Rosario
