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- The Dalai Lama will not be attending Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu's funeral on Saturday.
- The South African representative of the Dalai Lama, Ngodup Dorjee Shingchen said his holiness has not applied for a visa.
- The Dalai Lama has had his visa denied several times by the South African government.
The Dalai Lama will not be attending his close friend Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu's funeral on Saturday.
The South African representative of the Dalai Lama, Ngodup Dorjee Shingchen, told News24 on Tuesday that the Dalai Lama had not applied for a visa.
"The Dalai Lama will not be attending the funeral because he has not applied for a visa. He will not be attending. There is no plan as such for the Dalai Lama to come to the country," he said.
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The holy spiritual leader had a close friendship with Tutu and in 2016 co-authored a book with him titled "The Book of Joy" examining the quest of joy in a world filled with suffering.
Anglican Archbishop Thabo Makgoba said at a press briefing on Monday that there had been no confirmation whether the Dalai Lama would attend.
"I don't have details of that and I wish it were possible that he attends without going into the politics of his trouble coming to South Africa as a religious leader," Makgoba said.
READ | Tutu to be cremated
Makgoba also said he was aware there were many others who would like to attend the funeral.
"I know there are spiritual leaders from India who [have] expressed the need to be here [but] so far we don't have definite answers as to who will be in attendance," he said.
In 2011, the South African government blocked the Dalai Lama's visit to the country when he was scheduled to be a guest at Tutu's 80th birthday, so as not to offend China. The Dalai Lama has had his visa denied several times by the South African government - this stems from the acrimonious relationship between China and the Dalai Lama.
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The Dalai Lama fled into exile to India in 1959 after an abortive uprising against the Chinese rule of Tibet. The Dalai Lama said he was seeking more autonomy for his Himalayan homeland.
Piyushi Kotecha, the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation CEO, told News24: "... not as far as I know has the Dalai Lama confirmed attendance with regards to the funeral on Saturday".
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"It will all unfold. At the moment everything is a bit fluid, so just keep an eye out," Kotecha said.
The Dalai Lama wrote a letter of condolence to Tutu's daughter, the Reverend Mpho Tutu, saying Tutu's "departure from this world is very saddening news for all of us".
"December 26, 2021, marks a very sad day, especially for the Tibetans on receiving the news of the passing away of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. He was an icon of global peace, a dear friend of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Tibet," the letter stated.
