'Use this day for healing in honour of Tutu'
Dr Mamphela Ramphele has urged South Africans to mark the day of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu’s passing as a day of healing.
The anti-apartheid icon passed away at the age of 90 on Sunday morning.
Ramphele spoke on behalf of the family at a media briefing in Cape Town on Sunday.
She said South Africans should embark on a journey of healing.
“The greatest tribute we can pay to the Archbishop will be for us to mark today this Boxing Day, as a day that each and every one of us will start the journey of healing. Healing ourselves and loving ourselves because we are God’s loving children.
“As we mourn the passing of this great man, we really would like South Africa and the world to focus on the teaching moments.”
Ramphele said the Archbishop used every moment to ensure that no one suffered.
“Whatever his vulnerabilities, he had to use every moment to make sure that people do not suffer, whatever he suffered. He was a great promoter of well-being, health, and supported people across the spectrum.
“It was sad for him that we didn’t go far on the journey he set us on, because what is healing? It is about coming back to who we are as human beings as creatures of the God who created us as interconnected, inter-dependent and all equal because we are in His imagine.
“That’s why the Archbishop fought against racism, fought against sexism, fought against homophobia, fought against any injustice, because an injury to one, is an injury to all of us.”
She added that Tutu may have been physically small in structure but he had the courage of a lion.
“He didn’t just talk about it, he was brave enough. Small as he was, he was very small man towered over by his very beautiful tall wife. But in terms of courage, she would tell everybody that he had a heart of a lion.”
“In all of this the Archbishop wanted us to focus on what does it mean to be human, and he didn’t preach about being human, he lived the core values of uBuntu.”