saw hundreds of mourners from all walks of life, walk into the Cathedral on the one side and then out on the other, as they paid their last respects to the man they held in high regard. One by one, observing the social distancing, they filed past the coffin, often stopping to nod or salute, inaudibly mumbling a few words by the coffin before walking off towards the exit.
“After going in there, I feel okay. It’s good that he is finally resting after his illness and may his soul rest in peace. I was surprised the coffin was closed. I expected it to be open actually, but either way, we got to pay our respects and I think that was the main reason we came here today. So, whether it was open or closed we did what we came here to do.”
Maria Manuel is originally from Angola and does not know much about Tutu. However, since his passing, she says, she has heard a lot about him and what he stood for and, as a result, she felt she needed to come pay her respect.