With his purple-burgundy robes and his unmistakable laugh, “The Arch” inspires love, respect and devotion wherever he goes. A man of small stature and immense humility, he played a colossal role in the struggle against Apartheid in South Africa, his life’s work acknowledged with a Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. His drive to do good has never wavered.

His father was a schoolteacher, his mother a domestic worker and he has three sisters. When his father was transferred between schools, the family often had to move and their living arrangements included a shack outside Roodepoort for a while. Many years later, as Archbishop of Cape Town, his official residence was in the well-heeled suburb of Bishopscourt… about as far as can be from a shack!

Considering how sickly he was as a child, his achievements are even more impressive. As a youngster, polio atrophied his right hand and he spent a year in hospital with tuberculosis. In later life, aged 66, he’d be diagnosed with prostate cancer, but not even this would get him down.

A man of faith and compassion, many will remember him for chairing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), starting in 1994. The outcomes of the TRC weren’t perfect, but it’s been used as blueprint in many countries and it sets apart South Africa’s transition to majority rule from many other such changes in government internationally.

In 1998, he launched the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre, with his beloved wife, Leah… for whom he says he’s served tea in bed most mornings of their long life together.

Don’t think he slowed down when he hit his 70s – on the contrary! His physical hardships notwithstanding, he became a visiting professor at his alma mater, King’s College London at the age of 73. Three years later he joined hands with fellow humanitarians and senior world leaders to form The Elders, a private organisation that works for good by operating outside conventional diplomatic channels.

In 2015, at the sprightly age of 84, he and Leah celebrated 60 years of marriage by renewing their vows for their diamond anniversary.

His big heart, boundless love for people and extraordinary legacy mark him out as the remarkable human being that he is. His middle name – Mpilo – means “life” and he sure has lived up to it.

Source: SA History Online