Nelson Mandela services excluded Afrikaners, says Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Johannesburg, South Africa: Archbishop Desmond Tutu has said that Nelson Mandela would have been appalled that Afrikaners were excluded from memorial services marking his death.

He highlighted the absence of the Dutch Reformed Church and the limited use of the Afrikaans language at the services.

A mainly Afrikaner party introduced white minority rule, which Mr Mandela opposed, spending 27 years in jail.

But after becoming South Africa’s first black president, Mr Mandela preached reconciliation with his former enemies.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu has always seen himself as the moral voice of South Africa.

He was a fierce critic of the white minority regime and won the Nobel peace prize in 1984.

Since apartheid ended, he has turned out to be just as critical of the African National Congress (ANC), the liberation movement now in power.

The archbishop has criticised ex-Presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki but, most of all, incumbent Jacob Zuma.

He appears to have become increasingly disillusioned with the ANC. In June, he lamented that people were surrendering to the “altar of power and wealth”, and lauded the formation of the Agang opposition party.

“Madiba was a nation-builder. I pray that we will uphold this critical aspect of his mission forever,” the prelate concluded.

 — BBC