LETTER OF CONDOLENCES FROM THE NELSON MANDELA CHILDREN’S FUND AND NELSON MANDELA CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

Dear Tutu Family,  

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, Management and Staff at Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund (the Fund), and its flagship project, the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, we would like to express our deepest condolences, on the passing of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Mpilo Tutu.
When the news of his passing reached us, our hearts, along with those of the South African people and the global community, were ladened with an overwhelming sense of loss, that only a giant such as Archbishop, could evoke.

We remember the fondness with which our founder, and at the time, President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Nelson Mandela, spoke of the Archbishop at a Thanksgiving ceremony held in his honour on 23 June 1996. In his speech, President Mandela was quoted saying of the Archbishop, “He is renowned for selfless commitment to the poor, the oppressed and downtrodden. With his colleagues, he remained an effective voice of the people of South Africa when so many of their leaders were imprisoned, exiled, banned and restricted. Desmond Tutu is esteemed the world over for his commitment to justice and peace everywhere.”

It is that commitment, which cemented the Archbishop as a significant voice in the fight against apartheid, as well as a champion against injustice and inequality, in the newly democratic South Africa.

A close ally to President Mandela, the Archbishop shared Mr Mandela’s passion for a just society for our children, supporting Mandela’s dream of building a dedicated hospital for children stating, “For years, Nelson Mandela has dreamt of building a hospital dedicated to delivering world-class treatment to our children. Like Madiba, I believe our children deserve the best medical care possible.”

The Archbishop would become patron of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital (NMCH) Trust, which led the campaign to build the state-of-the-art facility based in Parktown, Gauteng. Next year, the hospital will celebrate five years of operations and serving thousands of destitute children in need of specialist healthcare.

Rare are leaders like the Archbishop, whose moral standing inspired nations and right-based movements without fear or favour. So unique was his hope in times of adversity, that it remained unshaken, never sacrificing truth and a stern approach to injustice. So deep were his tears, his empathy watered barren lands where hope and reconciliation could finally grow. So great was his smile, that even now, in this dark hour, it comforts all of us who feel an inextricable loss in the time of his absence.
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Our nation and the global community at large will forever remain indebted to the Archbishop’s life of service, his selflessness at great personal risk and the moral compass he lent to humanity in navigating a more just world.
May his soul rest in eternal peace.