South African former archbishop Desmond Tutu has been re-admitted to hospital with a recurring infection, his daughter said in a statement.
The veteran anti-apartheid campaigner, 84, admitted himself to a hospital in Cape Town Wednesday, according to the statement posted on social media. "He is expected to remain in hospital for a week or two. The archbishop underwent similar treatment last year," said Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe.
The former Anglican archbishop of Cape Town has suffered with prostate cancer for nearly 20 years, but his family has said that the current infection is not related to that condition.
Tutu was a prominent social activist and agent of change in bringing about the end of apartheid—a system of white minority rule and racial segregation that was overturned in 1994 with the election of Nelson Mandela. The pastor received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his efforts in ending apartheid and was chosen by Mandela to chair the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that investigated the crimes committed during the apartheid regime.
The churchman retired from public life in 2010, prior to which he was an outspoken critic on a variety of social and political issues. He has condemned Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe for turning the southern African country from a "bread basket" into a "basket case" and has criticized Israel for its policies towards Palestinians and its blockade of the Gaza Strip.
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About the writer
Conor is a staff writer for Newsweek covering Africa, with a focus on Nigeria, security and conflict.
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