By Hassan Isilow
JOHANNESBURG
Anti-apartheid icon Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has blasted the South African government for not granting the Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism, a visa to attend a Nobel laureates summit, which will be held in Cape Town later this month.
"I cannot believe that the South African government could shoot itself in the same foot thrice over," Tutu declared in a Thursday statement.
The Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in India, has cancelled his planned visit to the country amid reports of the visa row.
It is the third time that the Tibetan spiritual leader has canceled a trip to South Africa after failing to obtain a visa.
Some observers have linked the visa controversy to the Dalai Lama's differences with China, which represents South Africa's number one trading partner in terms of both exports and imports.
Some believe South Africa does not wish to upset China by granting the Dalai Lama a visa.
"When His Holiness (the Dalai Lama) was prevented by our government from attending my 80th birthday, I condemned that kowtowing to the Chinese roundly and reminded the government that it did not represent me," Tutu asserted.
He said he had warned his government then that, "Just as we prayed for the downfall of the apartheid government, so we would pray for the demise of a government that could be so spineless."
"The Nobel Summit in Cape Town, the first to be held on our continent, was meant to celebrate Madiba [the late Nelson Mandela]," Tutu noted.
"His [Mandela's] own comrades have spat in his face, refusing to see him honored by the holders of the blue ribbon of awards and honors," he added, referring to the current government run by Mandela's ruling National Congress Party.
"I am ashamed to call this lickspittle bunch my government," the archbishop fumed.
Reverend Mpho Tutu, executive director of the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, said that many Nobel laureates had contacted her father in recent weeks to solicit his counsel regarding a proposed boycott of the event.
"He counseled each to follow the dictates of conscience," she said.
According to media reports, many laureates will not attend the summit to protest the Dalai Lama's absence.
Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille is expected to make a formal announcement later on Thursday as to whether or not the summit would be held as scheduled.
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