South Africans have been in mourning after learning about the sad news of the beloved Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s death on Sunday.
Tutu was South Africa’s last Nobel Peace Prize laureate and passed away in his Cape Town home. Tutu’s death comes after a long battle with prostate cancer.
A week of honouring Desmond Tutu
According to the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, Tutu’s funeral is set for Saturday. However, many occasions have been set in place in order to honour the late Archbishop.
Beginning Monday, the bells of St George’s Cathedral will ring for 10 minutes daily.
“The bells of St George’s Cathedral will be rung daily for 10 minutes, starting at midday, from Monday to Friday.”
A memorial service will also be held at the Dioceses of Pretoria in Gauteng. And on Thursday evening, an intimate evening will be hosted by the foundation for the friends of the Arch and his wife.
Then on Friday, Archbishop Tutu will lie in state in St George’s Cathedral. And finally, on Saturday, he will be put to rest during the official funeral at St George.
Archbishop Thabo Makgoba will lead the funeral service on Saturday.
Makgoba’s Covid-19 concerns
According to Makgoba, there are some concerns about possible breaches in current Covid regulations.
“Our list of possible attendees at the funeral run to 400 or 500 names and more than 100 clergy but Covid regulations restrict attendance at funerals to a maximum of 100 and we must respect that,” he said.
They are hoping that the various memorial services that have been lined up at different churches across the country during the week will help to help prevent mourners from coming to one spot.
And so, Makgoba calls on South Africans to rather attend services at their local communities.
“Please don’t get into a bus to Cape Town.
“We have arranged those cathedrals and those local perishes so we cater to your needs,” Makgoba added.