“In a way that may not always be obvious, Arch Bishop [Desmond] Tutu was close to the farming community,” said agriculture, land reform and rural development minister Thoko Didiza.
This, as the City of Cape Town commenced lighting up Table Mountain and City Hall in purple to honour Tutu (90), who died on Sunday. In a tweet, the municipality said the colour purple had become synonymous with Tutu, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and Anglican archbishop emeritus.
Didiza said she remembered Tutu’s concerns about food security and its role in ensuring a stable and prosperous society. In July 2021 – just six months before his death – the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation hosted a dialogue on “Ecological apartheid: food for all”.
“This dialogue drew several agriculture and land reform experts, locally and globally, to share views on how South Africa can attain food security for all,” said Didiza. “At the heart of this dialogue was how agriculture can ensure that no one goes to bed hungry.”
Ecological apartheid is described as the unequal distribution of environmental benefits and burdens among poor and minority people. In the Tutu dialogue, the long-term effects of South Africa’s former apartheid policies were discussed.
Building on Tutu’s legacy
The discussion came at a time when countries were preparing for the United Nations World Food Systems Summit that took place in September 2021, added Didiza. Farmers in the Western Cape also still remembered how Tutu stood in solidarity with them during the 2018 drought.
“To Bishop Tutu, the meaning of freedom will need to touch those who are not privileged by ensuring that their livelihood change for the better. Hence, addressing poverty through agriculture development and the inclusion of previously disadvantaged communities is one of the efficient ways of improving livelihoods,” said Didiza.
Tutu will be laid to rest on Saturday.
ALSO READ: Farmers pay tribute to Tutu: ‘He prayed for us’
Sign up for Mzansi Today: Your daily take on the news and happenings from the agriculture value chain.
