Sam: I'm Sam.
Neil: And I'm Neil.
Sam: 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.
Neil: 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.
Sam: 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,