Desmond Tutu to lie in state ahead of funeral on January 1: Foundation

dpa Johannesburg The funeral for Desmond Tutu, South Africa’s anti-apartheid hero and global human rights activist, has been set for January 1 in Cape Tow...

dpaJohannesburg The funeral for Desmond Tutu, South Africa’s anti-apartheid hero and global human rights activist, has been set for January 1 in Cape Town, his foundation said.The former Anglican archbishop of Cape Town and Nobel Peace Prize winner died on Sunday at the age of 90, triggering a wave of tributes from around the world for the theologian, who was known for his battles for racial justice rights.His funeral will take place at Cape Town’s St George’s Cathedral. A day before, he will lie in state at the church to allow people to pay their respects, Anglican Archbishop Thabo Makgoba said on Monday.Tutu’s ashes will be buried in a mausoleum inside the cathedral.Makgoba said that 400 people have already indicated they wish to attend the January 1 service. However, current Covid-19 rules cap gatherings at 200 people.Commemorative events are also being planned in the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini.The South African flag will fly at half-mast across the country and at diplomatic missions overseas, said President Cyril Ramaphosa, who called Tutu a “patriot without equal.” Tutu fought to bring justice to South Africa’s majority black population living under the apartheid regime imposed by the white minority government.In 1984, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Tutu “for his role as a unifying leader figure in the non-violent campaign to resolve the problem of apartheid in South Africa.” A contemporary of Nelson Mandela, he pushed for peace and reconciliation as the racist political and economic system came to an end in the early 1990s.