Cape Town - Reverend Canon Mpho Tutu has been asked to “step aside” from her position as director of her parents’ legacy foundation.
The spokesman for the Desmond Tutu and Leah Legacy Foundation, Roger Friedman, said the decision followed a preliminary investigation.
“The board of the foundation has asked its executive director, the Reverend Canon Mpho Tutu, to step aside while a process is undertaken to tighten administrative procedures and practices and mitigate potential for perceived conflicts of interests between the foundation and its partners.”
Friedman said “the outcome of the process would determine Tutu’s future”.
Although Friedman would not be drawn on Sunday newspaper reports that the decision stemmed from Tutu’s marriage to Professor Marceline Van Furth, he did say it was “conjecture”.
Van Furth is a professor in paediatric infectious diseases at the Vrije University, Amsterdam. She holds the Desmond Tutu Chair in Medicine at the university.
It is alleged the board was concerned that Tutu’s position would be a conflict of interest.
Van Furth is believed to have secured a donation of about R35 million for the foundation three years ago.
Cape Argus
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