ELITA de Klerk, the wife of the late and last apartheid president FW de Klerk, paid her respects to the Tutu family at their Milnerton home on Tuesday late afternoon.
While she never engaged with the media camped outside the house, she wrote a message in the condolence book which read: “Arch, you are out of sight, but not out of mind. We love you. We shall live according to your teachings.”
Prior to her arrival, business mogul, Patrice Motsepe and his wife, Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe, also visited the Arch's home.
After their engagement with the family, Moloi-Motsepe, who is also the chancellor of the University of Cape Town, described the Arch as a devoted father who really loved his children.
“He was a very loving person. As a spiritual leader, we can all learn from the way he was very committed to his people, or sheep as they say in church, but through the broader community, he was a very courageous leader. He put up a fight when he needed to and yet he was a very compassionate leader as well.”
She added: “We will miss his laughter and his ability to allow himself to be vulnerable and share emotions when he needed to.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to deliver the eulogy at the Archbishop's funeral on Saturday.
Proceedings will start at 10am at the St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town.
Archbishop Thabo Makgoba on Monday indicated that the Arch's coffin would lie in state at the cathedral on Thursday and Friday.
This will allow the public to pay their last respects to the Arch over two days instead of one day, as initially announced at Monday's press conference in Cape Town.
His ashes will be interred and kept in the mausoleum at the cathedral.
Political Bureau