Hello.
This is 6 Minute English
from BBC Learning English.
I'm Sam.
And I'm Neil.
In this 6 Minute English, we're
celebrating the life of one of
modern South Africa's founding
fathers - the icon and Nobel
laureate, Archbishop
Desmond Tutu.
Archbishop Tutu was one the
leaders of the non-violent
movement to end the system
of racial segregation known
as apartheid.
Apartheid was
enforced against the black
population of South Africa
by the white minority
government from 1948
until 1991.
It's impossible to imagine
South Africa's difficult
journey to freedom without
Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
While other anti-apartheid
leaders, like his close
friend Nelson Mandela,
were imprisoned or even
killed, Archbishop Tutu
was there at every step
of the struggle - the
rebellious priest
speaking out against
the injustices of apartheid.
Archbishop Tutu was a hero
of the 20th century.
He died in December 2021
and was laid to rest in
Cape Town in a state
funeral on New Year's Day.
In this programme, we'll
hear about some important
moments from his life and,
as usual, learn some
related vocabulary as well.
But first I have a
question for you, Neil.
Nelson Mandela was sometimes
affectionately called by
his clan's name, Madiba,
but do you know what
nickname Archbishop Desmond
Tutu was given?
Was it:
a) The Des?
b) The Bish?
or
c) The Arch?
I don't know, but I'll guess
his nickname was c) the Arch.
OK, Neil.
We'll find out
if that's the correct answer
at the end of the programme.
Desmond Mpilo Tutu was born
in 1931 in the town of
Klerksdorp in northern
South Africa.
In this
2014 interview with BBC
World Service programme,
Outlook, he looks back
on some of his earliest
childhood memories.
I had a very happy
childhood.
I am a boy
child between two girls.
My sisters sometimes
thought that our mother
rather spoiled me,
pampered me.
My mother
was not educated much
but she had an incredible
loving for people and
was very generous.
Part of my own
unhappiness was
precisely that anyone
could want to take
advantage of such a
gracious, gentle,
generous person.
As a child, Desmond
Tutu's mother would pamper
him - give him special
treatment and make him
feel special by doing
nice things for him.
He also says his mother
spoiled him - let him
do or have whatever he
wanted.
Spoiling a child
usually has a bad effect
on their character as
they grow up, but this
doesn't seem to be
true for Desmond Tutu.
What upset the young
Desmond was how his
mother was treated by
some white South Africans
who would take advantage
of her - treat her
unfairly for their
own benefit.
In 1955 Desmond Tutu
married his wife, Leah.
They had children and
the family moved to
London for a time,
before returning to
South Africa when Desmond
was made Dean of
Johannesburg.
He knew that returning
to a racially segregated
South Africa would be
difficult for his family.
In this interview with
BBC World Service
programme, Outlook,
Archbishop Tutu remembers
one terrifying incident
involving his wife, Leah,
who had gone to the
Johannesburg traffic
department to renew
a car licence.
... they handcuffed her,
and they walked with
her in the streets,
she was paraded, and
then when the court case
was heard my wife was
acquitted - but they
had done what they
wanted to do which was
humiliate her, and in
the process hit at me.
I have to say that I
found those actions
near unforgivable,
because I was the one
who was out in the
forefront...
although
Leah... she's a
toughie!
Police officers arrested
and handcuffed Leah
to humiliate her - make
her feel ashamed
and stupid.
When she went to court,
Leah was acquitted -
declared not guilty of
committing a crime.
But the police continued
to harass her, even
though his wife was,
in his own words, a
toughie - someone who
is tough and determined.
Archbishop Tutu describes
the event as "near
unforgivable" but, in
fact, he did forgive
the white police
officers, and in 1991,
at the end of apartheid,
he started the Truth
and Reconciliation
Commission as a way
of healing divisions
between black and
white communities.
What an inspirational life!
But we still don't
know what his nickname
was, Sam!
Right, in my question
I asked Neil what
Archbishop Desmond
Tutu's nickname was.
I guessed it was,
The Arch.
Which was the correct
answer!
Affectionately
known as The Arch,
Desmond Tutu will be
remembered as a man
of peace and forgiveness.
Right, let's recap the
vocabulary we've
learned in this programme,
starting with pamper -
to give someone
special treatment.
If you spoil a child,
you let them do whatever
they want, but be careful
because they might take
advantage of you - treat
you badly for their
own benefit.
To humiliate someone
means to make them feel
ashamed or stupid.
If you are acquitted of
a crime, it is judged
that you are not guilty.
And finally, a toughie
is a slang word to
describe someone, like
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
or his wife, Leah, who
is tough and determined.
Once again, our six
minutes are up.
Goodbye for now!
Bye!