Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu is fine - but the same can’t be said of his Twitter account.
|||Cape Town - Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and his wife were unhurt in a burglary that took place at their home home in Cape Town while they slept early on Wednesday morning.
Police said on Thursday that details were still sketchy but that the burglar or burglars had only made off with small items.
Tutu’s spokesman Roger Friedman confirmed that there was a burglary at Tutu’s home but referred all questions to the police.
“We’re not really going to say much. The Archbishop is fine and everyone is okay,” Friedman said.
“I don’t really think there is much more to say at this time,” he said, responding to questions about how Tutu felt about being burgled at his home in Milnerton, Cape Town.
At 7.42am on Thursday, Tutu’s new Twitter account was used to thank everyone for their concern.
“Thanks for all the prayers and good wishes about the #burglary at our home. We are all okay. Love Arch. #Tutu,” said @TutuLegacy.
Tweeps were able to follow the Nobel Peace Prize winner and his organisation, the Desmond and Leah Tutu Foundation, on the social media site from on Thursday.
This was just the fourth tweet sent from Tutu’s account, with the first going out less than two hours before the burglary tweet.
However, late Thursday morning Tutu’s Twitter account was suspended reportedly due to “aggressive following”.
The first person to be retweeted by Tutu’s Twitter account, which had just over 100 followers early on Thursday, said he was upset at the news.
“He has been the moral compass for us and a great light for our country, it was personally hurtful that he was burgled,” said Rod Suskin, a Cape Town astrologer.
He said he took the retweet as a sign that Tutu and his office “accepted the wishes” of comfort about the robbery and the welcome to Twitter. “Welcome! I am grateful the twitter conversation will be elevated with your presence. Thank you for being you, we love you Tata!” read Suskin’s message that was retweeted soon after the confirmation of the burglary.
Western Cape police spokesman André Traut said they were investigating the burglary. “Kindly be advised that this office can confirm that the circumstances surrounding a housebreaking which was perpetrated at a residence in Lupin (Crescent) in Milnerton early yesterday morning are being investigated,” said an official statement issued by Traut.
“The suspect or suspects fled with small household items and are yet to be arrested,” he said.
Eyewitness News reported on Thursday morning that keys and remotes were among some of the items stolen.
This is not the first time the Tutus have fallen victim to crime.
In April, Angela Machinga, a Zimbabwean domestic worker, was found murdered at Mpho Tutu’s home in Milnerton.
In June 2007, the Archbishop’s house in Vilakazi Street in Orlando West, Soweto was burgled and his Nobel Peace Prize medal worth an estimated R1 million was stolen.
Five suspects were arrested soon after, one of whom was found with the Nobel medal in his pocket.
brendan.roane@inl.co.za
The Star