Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s daughter, the Rev. Mpho A. Tutu, has been suspended from the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation after she married a female academic.
Tutu, the Executive Director of the organisation, married Professor Marceline van Furth in The Netherlands in December.
The relationship, however, has been seen as controversial by the foundation’s board. Not because of it being a same-sex union, but because Van Furth has been closely involved with the foundation’s affairs.
The professor is the Desmond Tutu Chair of Medicine at Vrije Universiteit in the Netherlands and was reportedly a key figure in sourcing a multimillion rand Dutch grant for the organisation, reported City Press.
Tutu was asked to step down from her position while an investigation is undertaken to assess the legal, financial and ethical implications of the couple’s relationship on the foundation.
The marriage was the women’s second, with Tutu having been previously married to Joseph Burris; with whom she has two daughters.
The Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation aims to foster reconciliation, cultivate accountable leadership and advance mutual respect and tolerance among the various peoples of South Africa and the world.
3 Responses
You need to do your homework, this was not because of her sexuallity, or was because of a conflict of interest in donor funds raised. It could be seen as collusion. Bad reporting gets people upset for nothing
Totally agreed with Martin – this is a sensationalized headline that draws completely the wrong attention. Had her partner been mail she would still have to go through the exact same investigation and process to determine the risk to the foundation – her sexuality is completely irrelevant.
Yuck Tutu’s ———- another bunch of humanitarian fakes.