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Desmond Tutu

Anglican bishop and peace advocate

By South African Index Editorial Desk · Published · Updated

Portrait of Desmond Tutu in Washington, DC, in 1999
Photograph: John Mathew Smith · Source · CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized and converted to WebP for this site.

Desmond Tutu was a South African Anglican cleric and opponent of apartheid. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 and later chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. [2][4]

Biography

The Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation records Tutu’s life dates as 7 October 1931 to 26 December 2021. The Nobel Prize records his 1984 Peace Prize in connection with his non-violent opposition to apartheid. These sources document the honours and the public work for which he was recognised. [1][2]

Tutu became Archbishop of Cape Town in 1986. He used his position in the Anglican Church to oppose apartheid. His ecclesiastical office and Nobel award preceded South Africa’s transition to democracy. [3][2]

After the transition, Tutu was appointed to lead the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. A statement on the Justice Department’s archive documents his appointment in November 1995, and a further statement in December identifies him as chairman. The commission investigated politically motivated human rights violations from the apartheid era. Tutu’s role was to chair a public process, not to act as a court that convicted every person named in testimony. [4][5][6]

Key contributions

Publicly opposed apartheid as a church leader and received the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize. [2][3]

Chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission after the transition to democracy. [4][5]

Career timeline

  1. Born on 7 October. [1]

  2. Received the Nobel Peace Prize. [2]

  3. Became Archbishop of Cape Town. [3]

  4. Appointed to chair the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. [4][5]

  5. Died on 26 December. [1]

Sources

  1. Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-23. ↩
  2. Nobel Prize Outreach, Desmond Tutu – Facts. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-23. ↩
  3. The Elders, Desmond Tutu. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-23. ↩
  4. South African Department of Justice, Statement by Archbishop Desmond Tutu on his appointment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, 1995-11-30. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-23. ↩
  5. South African Department of Justice, Statement by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, 1995-12-12. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-23. ↩
  6. South African Department of Justice, Statement by the chairperson and vice-chairperson of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, 1996-02-14. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-23. ↩