‘Long live the values embodied by Desmond Tutu’

• Author: Tamlynne Thompson tamlynne.thompson@inl.co.za
• Published date: 31 March 2022
• Publication title: Atlantic Sun

The exhibition, Truth to Power: Desmond Tutu and the Churches in the Struggle Against Apartheid, was curated in partnership with the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg and celebrates the life and legacy of the Arch, as he was fondly known

At the launch, attendees, including members of the Tutu family, Anglican Church and Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation (DLTLF), housed in the Old Granary building, among others, had the opportunity to view the exhibition, which maps his legacy in six themes:

Apartheid Education: The Most Evil Act of All – How the apartheid-era policy of Bantu education changed Tutu’s life and South Africa’s history

The Struggle in the Church: Fighting a False Gospel – The church as a site of struggle between those who supported colonialism and racial oppression and those who fought against it

Faith in Action: The Campaign for Sanctions – How apartheid’s policy of forcibly removing people of colour from areas designated for white settlement sparked international sanctions against South Africa’s apartheid state

Protest and Peace-Making: In the Streets and Stadiums – How Tutu took every opportunity to preach defiance of Apartheid in all its forms, to advocate for justice and to plead for peace

Unfinished Business: Tutu, Truth and Reconciliation – The achievements of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission as well as its unfinished business

TU+TU = Freedom – Speaking Truth for Global Justice – How Tutu did not stop his activism when South Africa gained democracy, choosing to continue to be an activist for justice across the world

There is also a room celebrating the relationship between the Arch and his wife, Leah Nomalizo Tutu, and another dedicated to his relationship with President Nelson Mandela.

Leah Tutu did not attend the launch due to the taxi strike, but acting CEO of the DLTLF, Phumi Nhlapo, told the Plainsman that the couple saw the beginning stages of the exhibition before the Arch died on Sunday December 26 last year, two months after his 90th birthday.

“They were able to see it a day before his birthday (on October 7). The gratitude and the tears he had to see his life showcased – I’m most grateful for the time he got to see it, but it was timely that we finished it now.”

She said the idea for the exhibition was born about three years ago, and the DLTLF were in discussions with the Apartheid Museum about the content.

“Whether it's old people or young people, they get to understand our history and the Arch’s role, who he was...