Tutu 'glad' Mandela not alive to see today

On the 20th anniversary of democracy in South Africa, Nobel peace laureate Desmond Tutu has expressed his disappointment in the country.

Nobel peace laureate Desmond Tutu says he is glad Nelson Mandela is not alive to witness the current state of South Africa.

"I'm glad that Madiba is dead. I'm glad that most of these people are no longer alive to see this," Tutu told South Africa's Sunday Times newspaper, referring to what he saw as the slow pace of change in the 20 years since apartheid.

His comments were published as South Africa was celebrating the 20th anniversary of its first all-race elections that ended decades of racial oppression under apartheid and brought Mandela to power as its first black president.

"I didn't think there would be a disillusionment so soon," the Anglican archbishop emeritus was quoted as saying.

Tutu, 82, who is still regarded as a moral beacon in South Africa, had confirmed on Wednesday that he would not vote for the ruling ANC in the May 7 elections.

He has been openly critical of current President Jacob Zuma's graft-tainted administration, but on Wednesday chose also to highlight the positives over the two decades since the fall of apartheid.


Share

1 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Watch now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world