A statue of Desmond Tutu has been draped in a Palestinian scarf as South Africa accuses Israel of genocide in a case presented at the International Court of Justice.

Mandla Mandela, the grandson of late former President Nelson Mandela, who like Tutu was a Nobel peace laureate. Mandla said his grandfather considered the Palestinian struggle the greatest moral issue of our time.

Mamphela Ramphele, chairperson of the Desmond Tutu Intellectual Property Trust, said Tutu was particularly passionate about the Palestinians because of the pain suffered by South Africans.

All statues of Desmond Tutu in South Africa and the African continent will be draped with Palestinian scarves. The scarf is made of yellow, red and green to illustrate the solidarity of African people with the Palestinians.

Cape Town, South Africa - 12 January 2024 - The Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation held a ceremony to drape the statue of the late Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu with a Palestinian scarf. The ceremony comes a day after South Africa made submissions to the International Court of Justice to have Israel charged with genocide.

Mandla Mandela, the grandson of late former President Nelson Mandela, who like Tutu was a Nobel peace laureate. Mandla said his grandfather considered the Palestinian struggle the greatest moral issue of our time.

Mamphela Ramphele, chairperson of the Desmond Tutu Intellectual Property Trust, said Tutu was particularly passionate about the Palestinians because of the pain suffered by South Africans.

All statues of Desmond Tutu in South Africa and the African continent will be draped with Palestinian scarves. The scarf is made of yellow, red and green to illustrate the solidarity of African people with the Palestinians.


Desmond Tutu statue draped with Palestinian scarf