By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu will lie in repose at St George’s Cathedral from today to give mourners more time to pay personal tribute. The Arch’s funeral will take place at the cathedral on Saturday.
The cortege (solemn procession) of the late Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, will arrive at the West Door of the Cathedral shortly after 09:00 today.
The cortege will leave Hertzog Boulevard and travel along Adderley Street into Wale street to the Cathedral.
Safety measures in place for Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s funeral
The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (Natjoints) is pulling out all the stops to ensure that the funeral of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu this weekend is “safe and secure”.
Since his death, the Natjoints, which comprises various law enforcement agencies and government departments, has met daily, according to spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe.
Mathe said,the Natjoints has assessed the state of readiness and preparedness of all stakeholders involved and is satisfied with its plan, which includes security plans, route security, and access control to the St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town, where the official funeral proceedings will take place.
“Mourners who are making their way to the cathedral daily to hand over flowers and sign the condolences book are also encouraged to cooperate with law enforcement officers and exercise patience so that all who will be in the vicinity of the cathedral can mourn in a safe and secure environment,” Mathe added.
People have been “urged to mourn in an orderly and responsible manner”.
They are required to comply with Covid-19 safety protocols.
Only 100 invited guests will be allowed into the cathedral on the day of the funeral, which will be televised on the Grand Parade.
Roads closures around St. George’s Cathedral precinct
The City of Cape Town has advised the public, and motorists in particular, that numerous roads in the city centre have been closed due to the funeral service for the late Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.
The road closures will remain in place until Saturday.
“Motorists are advised to please find alternative routes during this time, or to avoid the St. George’s Cathedral precinct entirely, if possible. A number of roads including Wale and Adderley Streets will be closed until Saturday afternoon,” said the city.
A full list of road closures is available here: https://bit.ly/RoadClosures-TutuFuneral.
In addition, the city has advised the public that the Company’s Garden will be closed on New Year’s Day, due to the funeral service.
A public viewing area for the funeral service will be set up on the Grand Parade. While there are no planned road closures in this area, it is subject to change, depending on the turnout.
Also, the public has been reminded that an online condolence book is available at this link: here.
Memorial service for Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the St Mary the Virgin cathedral, Gqeberha
A memorial service for the late Archbishop Emeritus, Desmond Tutu, is underway in Gqeberha from the St Mary the Virgin cathedral in the city centre. Words of support will be delivered by the Nelson Mandela Bay mayor, Eugene Johnson, Bishop Mthuthuzeli Koliti from the Ethiopian Episcopal Church and Reverend Themba Mahuwa from the South African Council of Churches.
Video Courtesy of SABC.
St. George’s Cathedral is a hive of activity. Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu will be laying for the last day in repose. So far, 2000 people have paid their last respects to Tutu.