President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Abdulla Shahid, has expressed heartfelt condolences to the government and people of South Africa over the death of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.
Shahid said on Sunday on his twitter handle that he was deeply saddened to note the sad passing of the Archbishop.
The UNGA president said he was sad about the demise of the icon, who led a global campaign to end South Africa’s apartheid regime and then helped in healing the nation’s wounds.
Similarly, World Health Organisation (WHO) Director General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, expressed sympathy to the people of South Africa over the death of the Archbishop.
“My condolences go to the many people in South Africa and worldwide, whose lives have been touched by the late Desmond Tutu.
“Archbishop Tutu was a peacemaker, a champion of justice and health equity and a man whose great wisdom was matched only by his love devotion to helping others,’’ Ghebreyesus said.
Meanwhile, South Africa President, Cyril Ramaphosa, said the passing of Desmond Tutu marked another chapter of bereavement of the nation’s farewell to generation of outstanding South Africans.
Ramaphosa, in a statement by his Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, said Desmond Tutu was a patriot without equal; a leader of principle and pragmatism who gave meaning to the biblical insight that faith without works is dead.
Archbishop Tutu, the last surviving South African laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize, passed away on Sunday in Cape Town at the age of 90.
President Muhammadu Buhari also condoled with Ramaphosa, South Africans and the global Christian body, particularly Anglican Communion, over passing of Archbishop Emeritus, Desmond Tutu at 90.
The president’s condolence message was issued by his spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, on Sunday in Abuja.
According to Buhari, the death of the iconic teacher, human rights activist, leader of thought, scholar and philanthropist, further creates a void in a world in dire need of wisdom, integrity, courage and sound reasoning, which were qualities that the Nobel Peace Prize Winner, 1984, typified and exemplified in words and actions.
The president affirmed that the historic role Archbishop Tutu played in the fight against apartheid, enduring physical assaults, jail terms and prolonged exile, took him beyond the pulpit to global, political relevance, and his position, under President Nelson Mandela, in heading the Truth and Reconciliation Commission provided healing and direction for his country and the world.
Buhari commiserated with Leah Tutu, the spouse of the spiritual leader and lifelong partner in the struggle against injustice, corruption and inequality, the Tutu family, board and staff of Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, Elders and Nobel Laureate Group.
He noted that the voice of the scholar and teacher, his published works, and inspirational quotes would resonate through generations, bringing more light and clarity to religious diversity, democracy and good governance.
The president prayed for the repose of the soul of Archbishop Tutu, whose life and times sent an unforgettable message on love and forgiveness.
Multichoice Group, an African leading entertainer, also mourned the death of Tutu, who used his pulpit and spirited oratory to bring down apartheid in the country.
According to the message posted on its official Instagram page on Sunday, Mr Imtiaz Patel, MultiChoice Group Non-Executive Chairman, said they are saddened over demise of the Archbishop.
He wrote, “MultiChoice is deeply saddened by the passing of our beloved Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu – an exceptional visionary and leader who spent his life in pursuit of justice and service of mankind,”
“As Africa’s most-loved story teller, we want to pay tribute to this remarkable man, and we’ll be bringing his incredible story to life on our tribute channel,” Patel said.
Tutu died at the age of 90 and his death was confirmed by the office of South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa described the archbishop as “a leader of principle and pragmatism who gave meaning to the biblical insight that faith without works is dead.”
The cause of his death is cancer, the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation said, adding that Tutu had died in a care facility.
He was first diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1997, and was hospitalised several times in the years since, amid recurring fears that the disease had spread.
