By Charmaine Ndlela
Trevor Thamsanqa Tutu, the eldest child and only son of the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Leah Tutu, has died at the age of 70.
His death was confirmed by the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation in a statement shared on social media.
The foundation did not disclose the cause of death.
Describing Trevor as the “beloved firstborn and only son” of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Leah Tutu, the foundation extended its condolences to the grieving family.
“No words reach far enough into a loss like this. So we simply stand with the family, in love and in prayer,” the foundation said.
“Our hearts are with Mam’ Leah, with Thandeka, Naomi and Mpho, with his children, and with all who loved him.”
The foundation also shared one of Archbishop Tutu’s reflections on family:
“You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.”
Tributes continued to pour in on Wednesday, with the Diocese of Grahamstown expressing its deepest condolences to the Tutu family.
In a Facebook post, Bishop Mcebisi Pinyana called on South Africans to keep the family in their prayers.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Tutu family in these difficult times. May the Lord grant you peace and comfort that surpasses all human understanding. We find hope in the assurance of Christ’s resurrection and eternal life,” Pinyana said.
Trevor Tutu was born in April 1956 in Klerksdorp.
He was the eldest of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Leah Tutu’s four children and remained a respected member of one of South Africa’s most prominent families.
His death comes nearly five years after Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and anti-apartheid icon, died on 26 December 2021 at the age of 90.
Funeral and memorial arrangements have not yet been announced.
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