CAPE TOWN – As South Africa and the rest of the world mourns the passing of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, the City of Cape Town has announced an inter-faith tribute at the City Hall.
Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said the service was to honour Tutu's commitment to religious inclusiveness.
The event will be hosted on Wednesday, December 29, at 6pm.
“The Arch was clear in his belief that God ‘belonged to everyone,’ and the City will pay tribute to his spirit of inclusiveness through this special tribute,” Hill-Lewis said.
Tutu died on Sunday at the age of 90.
Those who will be attending the inter-faith tribute include representatives from the Tutu family and the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation.
Among the faiths represented will be Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Brahma Kumaris, Bahá’í, African Traditional Religion and Khoisan representatives.
Various artists, local and international will also be paying tribute to Tutu as part of the service.
Members of the public are welcomed to join and view the service.
The City of Cape Town will be placing large screens for public viewing outside as general public access will not be possible inside the City Hall due to limited seating and in line with national Covid-19 safety protocols.
“The City will also live-stream the service on our YouTube channel and share the link on our various social media pages,” Hill-Lewis added.
On Sunday, Table Mountain and the City Hall were lit in purple in honour of Tutu.
A week of mourning has been announced and the bells of St George’s Cathedral will be rung daily for 10 minutes, starting at midday from Monday to Friday leading up to Tutu’s funeral in Cape Town on Saturday January 1, 2022.
IOL