Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s death has seen one of his darkest moments brought into the spotlight with SA recalling Winnie Mandela’s ordeal.
If you spend long enough in the limelight it’s only a matter of time until you do something controversial. It seems as if even Archbishop Desmond Tutu isn’t immune to public scrutiny.
The religious leader passed away on Boxing Day and his death has sparked debate over his drama relating to another South African legend.
‘Winnie’ trended on social media as citizens raised their views over one of Tutu’s more questionable moves.
DESMOND TUTU’S ACT AGAINST WINNIE ‘UNFORGIVABLE’
Many feel that Tutu’s insistence that Winnie Madikizela-Mandela should apologise for the murder of Stompie Seipei was ‘unforgivable’.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission had heard allegations of how the late struggle icon and the Mandela United Football Club had carried out human-rights atrocities.
Desmond Tutu had made an emotional plea before the inquiry in 1997. He had begged Winnie Mandela to apologise.
“I beg you, I beg you, I beg you, please, I have not made any particular finding about what happened. You are a great person and you do not know your greatness will be enhanced if you said: ‘Sorry, things went horribly wrong.’”
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
THE DETAILS BEHIND THE CONTROVERSY
The struggle veteran had, in response, ended up apologising to Seipei’s family. Seipei was a teenage activist who had been suspected of being a police informant.
In line with this, Seipei had been kidnapped by members of Mandela United and murdered by one of the members. The member had, in turn, claimed he had acted on Mandela’s orders.
Ultimately, this resulted in her being convicted of the kidnapping and of being an accessory to the assault. However, the six year sentence was reduced to a fine and a two year suspended sentence on appeal.
Nevertheless, it seems as if the moment has managed to linger long enough to mar the religious leader’s legacy.