Tutu - Rabble Rouser for Peace

Archbishop Desmond Tutu & Keith Richardson

This is the title of a recent biography by John Allen for a man who was once labelled as South Africa’s ‘Public Enemy Number One’ - Archbishop Desmond Tutu. It was with anticipation of something worthy for our boys, that I wrote to him some five months ago asking him if he would be prepared to share some thoughts with the men of Wynberg.  He gave the audience of pupils, teachers and support staff, memories which they will remember for the rest of their lives.

‘I was brought up to believe that he was the devil incarnate,’ said Mike Engelbrecht, one of our House Heads during the lunch we had with him after the assembly. 'Now twenty five years later, I am privileged to sit next to him on stage.’

And, if the truth be told, he was also privileged to join the rest of the audience in giving him a standing ovation afterwards ...

Before school that morning, a very sceptical Siyabonga Beyile was in my office to discuss how he was going to thank the Archbishop. ‘Are you absolutely sure you are not having us on?’ he asked. ‘Are we really having the Archbishop to address our assembly?’

‘I was brought up by my parents on stories of Tutu, Mandela and Chris Hani,’ he said. ‘I never thought I would ever get to meet any of them. To me, meeting Tutu is like meeting Superman – he is the hero.’

Siyabonga was part of the reception committee at the entrance to the school for Superman. When he arrived to be greeted by a posse of cameras, Pat Rogers who runs our website, asked if she could take a photograph of him standing with me at the entrance to the school.

‘Well it is his reputation that is at stake,’ said Tutu, who then promptly dissolved into giggles as he stood next to me.

‘Sir,’ whispered Siyabonga to me as we walked to the hall. 'He arrived in a Toyota and had no bodyguards ...’

Are you listening, all you politicians out there?

There was a murmur through the hall when this remarkable man came on stage. All eyes were on Tutu who greeted and shook hands with the front row of the stage party. Head Prefect, Nick Martin, went blood-red as one of South Africa’s icons proffered him his hand. I bet Nick’s palms were sweaty!

The school’s African Choir came on stage and sang two songs for the Archbishop:  Phind’ukhulume (‘Talk to me, Lord) and Ndikhokhele Bawo (Lead me, Lord). They sang magnificently and Wandisele Ngeyi, their singing coach, gave a loud and appreciative ‘yes!’ when they finished which evoked a laugh from the audience.

Archbishop Tutu addresses Wynberg Boys' High School

Spu Mnikina had been given the honour of introducing him to the school. He started off by saying that this Nobel Laureate needed no introduction as this man was the holder of hundreds of accolades and honours from many cities, churches and educational institutions around the world.  At his retirement, he was described by President Mandela as a true South African who had made an ‘immeasurable contribution to our nation’.

Spu finished off his introduction by quoting a comment, once said by the Archbishop,  which he thought epitomised the great man: ‘If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor’.

When he stood up to speak, Tutu gently admonished Spu. ‘You must never say that someone needs no introduction,’ he said. ‘Once I was in New York receiving an international award and a lady came gushing up to me. 'I am so pleased finally to meet you, Archbishop Mandela!’

That is what you call getting two for the price of one ...

The theme of his talk – given without notes – was that the youth must take up the challenge. He told his audience that Africa was the birthplace of humankind. It was time that the Youth of Africa stood up again realising that they had a role to play in the development of the next stage of civilisation. He quoted innumerable instances from the Bible where young men by their actions and by their courage had made a real difference to their societies. ‘I am an old man,’ he said, ‘I dream of a world where there is peace. I dream of a world where all are members of one family and one race – the human race.’

‘I challenge you young people at Rondebosch ...,’ he said. The school was far too polite to say anything but the stunned silence and the looks on the audience’s faces caused him to glance at me and quickly say, ’Wynberg, I meant Wynberg.’ Realising what he had done, he put his head back and roared with laughter. It was a laugh which we had all become accustomed to know well over the years. It rose from the belly - rich and infectious. The school laughed with him. He was quickly forgiven.

A few days later he was at the Baxter Theatre for the ‘Funny Festival’ with some of South Africa’s greatest comedians. He was invited on to the stage and told the audience that he had a reputation for having a sense of humour. ‘I don’t really,’ he said. ‘I just laugh heartily at my own jokes!’

At Wynberg, he finished off his talk as he started – with a challenge. ‘If I meet any of you in ten years time, I want you to come up to me and say that you were motivated at my talk to add value to society and make a difference to the world. How many of you will be inspired to become Nobel Prize Winners? Give the world a new invention? Discover new cures?’

He looked at the left hand side of the hall. ‘How about you?’ Then he looked at the right hand side of the hall. ‘How about you?’

Finally, he looked at the teachers on stage. ‘How about you?’ There were a few moments of dead silence in the hall as we went to sit down before a burst of sustained applause let him know in no uncertain terms that his message had struck home.

In his end-of-term address at the final assembly last Friday, Head Prefect Nick Martin told the school that listening to Archbishop Tutu was the highlight of the term for him. ‘It was almost as good as beating Grey ...’

Now, from a schoolboy, THAT is praise.

In the staff room

After signing some books in my office, we went to the staffroom for lunch. His bowl of soup took him about 45 minutes to consume as every teacher wanted to talk to him and dozens of photographs were taken. Kyle Williamson was overwhelmed. ‘I can’t believe I have just spoken to Desmond Tutu,’ he kept saying over and over again.

‘This is like having a rock star in our staff room,’ said Larry Moser.

‘Only bigger,’ I replied.

Eventually it was time to go. We went back to the Toyota and said our goodbyes. As I shut his door, I asked him, “Was that an intentional mistake about Rondebosch?’

He just winked at me.

Kyle Williamson & Archbishop Tutu

Now I will never know.