Emeritus archbishop and virulent critic of white South Africa, Desmond Tutu had his home broken into while he was away speaking at Nelson Mandela’s memorial.
An aide confirmed on Wednesday that Tutu was burgled on Tuesday night.
“We are not able to tell exactly what was stolen, the archbishop and his wife were not at home. The house was not pillaged,” his aide Roger Friedman said.
The strange burglary called attention to Tutu who was largely ignored by the foreign press at the memorial.
Tutu used the news of the burglary to repeat what he had said at the memorial: “I want to show the world we can come out here and celebrate the life of an icon.”
Tutu’s supporters claimed the timing of the incident is embarrassing for South Africa when the eyes of the world are on the country, but Tutu’s positive message contradicted their claims.
It is the second time in five months that Tutu’s home in Milnerton, Cape Town had been singled out.
In August criminals broke into the home while the archbishop emeritus and his wife Leah were at home sleeping, but where unharmed.
Burglaries are common in South Africa and are frequently accompanied by violence. Most burglars are black youths.
Tutu, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate was once regarded as the voice of South Africa’s moral conscience, but his marxist leanings and racist calls for taxing only whites, have cost him the support of many well-meaning South Africans.
Since retiring as archbishop in 2010, Tutu has tried hard to remain in the public eye by berating religious intolerance toward gays. The theme he has chosen is still very unpopular with blacks.
His detractors call him the “purple frock clown”.
