Tutu praises peaceful transition

2008-10-02 21:11

Cape Town - Archbishop Desmond Tutu on Thursday praised the peaceful way South Africa had handled its recent political crisis, saying it would have led to bloodshed anywhere else in the developing world.

"I have criticised the sacking of [former] president Thabo Mbeki, but we all know if it had happened in any other country in the so-called third-world it almost certainly would have happened with bloodshed," he told reporters.

"We are very, very blessed in this country.

"Certainly in Africa you couldn't have something happening that is so seismic and yet with no bloodshed."

The Nobel peace prize winner spoke in Cape Town at the launch of a campaign against prejudice and discrimination, started by an association for the disabled.

Tutu said the campaign was important to raise awareness about discriminating against disability, saying that he himself had lost the use of his right hand as a child due to polio, and had been forced to learn to become left-handed.

"I am turning 77 next week and you are hearing of it for the first time," he said.

Tutu said the "Healing our Rainbow Nation" campaign stretched to all forms of discrimination in the country, where white-minority rule under the apartheid system was characterised by racial prejudice until its end in 1994.

Tutu said the campaign came at a time "when we are all feeling a little broken" after a year in which South Africans were rocked by a wave of violence against foreigners in townships, followed by the recent political crisis in which the ruling party forced the president to resign.

"We as South Africans have a big weakness. We do not celebrate the wonderful things about us," he said, adding that the country had made remarkable strides in 14 years of democracy.

"A few years ago police climbed trees to check whether people of different races were having sex. Today I still stand and look at mixed couples, sometimes so close you can't put a razor blade between them, and look, the sky hasn't fallen."

- AFP