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LIGHT MOMENT: Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and Michael Lapsley, activist and director of the Institute for Healing of Memories in conversation last night when Lapsleys memoir Redeeming the Past was released at the Homecoming Centre in Cape Town. The book tells of Lapsleys life story of forgiveness and reconciliation. Photo: Courtney Africa
Aziz Hartley
MANY gave their lives, others were harassed and persecuted during the Struggle, but what was happening in South Africa today did not reflect the price paid for freedom, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu said last night.
Tutu was keynote speaker at the launch of activist and priest Michael Lapsley’s book Redeeming the Past at the District Six Museum’s Homecoming Centre where he said the price for the freedom people enjoyed today was high, but it was questionable whether this was appreciated and treasured.
“If we [do], how can we allow such things to besmirch our freedom?” Tutu asked, saying it was shocking that children were still being taught under trees, textbooks in Limpopo were found dumped without anyone being held accountable, and thousands of families went to bed hungry every night.
“Is this the kind of freedom people were tortured and people were maimed for?”
Tutu said there had been a time when people were respected and listened to, but this had changed.
Eighteen years into democracy, Tutu told the meeting, thousands of people lived in squalor while public servants travelled in expensive cars and were paid handsomely just for attending meetings.
“Why the heck? Why the heck did we have this Struggle? What the heck was it for?” Tutu asked.
“Eighteen years I’ve been begging. Let us oldies go to our
grave smiling. Do we remember the cost of freedom? Do we really?”
Tutu said the shooting at Marikana reminded him of events under apartheid.
“In 2012? In a democracy? In a new South Africa?
“Have we forgotten so soon? he asked.
Tutu saluted Lapsley for his contribution to freedom and said he had shown how forgiveness and reconciliation trumped retribution.
Using Lapsley as an example, Tutu said SA could evolve
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