The Great Leader Series No. 13 - The Most Reverend Dr Desmond Tutu

Desmond Tutu was born on the 7 October 1931 in the Transvaal. While his mother had little education, his father was a teacher and they provided a stable environment which taught the values of fairness. He says, “I never learnt to hate”. Tutu spent two years in hospital with TB as a young teenager and met Father Trevor Huddleston for the first time. He loaned Tutu books which surely must have influenced his attitudes towards the Church and, eventually, Apartheid. Father Huddleston was a major critic of the Apartheid legislation and its enforcement. Desmond wanted to be a physician but family funds not permitting, trained to be a teacher like his father. He taught for four years at Johannesburg Bantu High School, marrying Leah Nomalizo in 1955. They now have four children.

When the National Party came to power in 1948, they began to enact the Apartheid legislation. The intention was to ensure “separate development” of the races – White, Black and Coloured. Every aspect of life was regulated. Education, work opportunities, domicile and social circle were regulated to ensure the races mixed in the approved, strictly limited, manner only. The legislation was steadily rolled out and enforced. 

Ordained in 1960 he became involved with the deeply dissatisfied Black intellectuals who were fighting Apartheid. The history of the Apartheid legislation shows strong opposition from white as well as black people. From the beginning, the opposition was largely political comprising rallies, strikes and so on. Sadly, large rallies were sometimes met with violent repression causing hundreds of deaths.

His personal battle against Apartheid led him to write to the then Prime Minister of South Africa,Vorster, warning of the “powder keg” that was being created.

As a teenager in the 1960s, I remember the reports of the police action attempting to suppress the dissident movement. The brutality in response to non-violent protests was breathtaking. Allegedly, prisoners died while attempting to escape by jumping from third floor windows. Steve Biko was alleged to have committed suicide by repeatedly clubbing his own head.

In spite of these horrors Rev. Tutu held to his belief that non-violence was the correct path. He held positions in Africa and the UK until, in 1975, he was appointed Dean of Johannesburg, the first Black person in that position.

His anti-Apartheid work created a following in the world and he received many honours to recognise and underscore his views.

It is his work in South Africa’s post-apartheid era that draws my admiration as a great leader.

He was appointed head of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1995.

He said this: “To forgive is not just to be altruistic. It is the best form of self-interest. It is also a process that does not exclude hatred and anger. These emotions are all part of being human. You should never hate yourself for hating others who do terrible things: the depth of your love is shown by the extent of your anger.

However, when I talk of forgiveness I mean the belief that you can come out the other side a better person. A better person than the one being consumed by anger and hatred. Remaining in that state locks you in a state of victimhood, making you almost dependent on the perpetrator. If you can find it in yourself to forgive then you are no longer chained to the perpetrator. You can move on, and you can even help the perpetrator to become a better person too.”

To persuade anyone to adopt this viewpoint is astonishing; to do it after years of brutality and harsh repression is unbelievable.

The celebrity lecture circuit beckoned and he could have toured the world creating publicity to fight Apartheid. That he chose to stay in South Africa through the most dangerous times is a mark of courage. He was not afraid to criticise the African National Congress (ANC) when he objected to their actions either.

That South Africa has adopted a universal franchise in a largely peaceful manner is an historically important event. The post-colonial history of much of Africa has not been so happy in contrast.

Nelson Mandela could not have achieved this without the help of extraordinary people. The Most Reverend Dr Desmond Tutu is one of those people.

Tutu’s vision, his strong commitment to non-violence and forgiveness has carried South Africa away from dangerous possibilities.

He continues to espouse inconvenient views today of course. He has compared the situation of the Palestinians to life under Apartheid. The separate development, restriction on travel and violence does appear to be parallel. This has not endeared him to Israel and their friends!

To adopt a viewpoint, and stick to it in the face of adversity, is a mark of courageous leadership.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Tutu

http://www.theforgivenessproject.com/stories/desmond-tutu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bkKg0tp1kg

http://www.tutu.org/

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1984/tutu-bio.html

http://zar.co.za/tutu.htm

http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/history/solidarity/huddlebio.html

Date : 24-06-2007