20100722
africanews

Nobel Peace Laureate Desmond Tutu to bow out of public life later this year to lessen his commitments. Emeritus Tutu disclosed during a media briefing in Cape Town, saying instead of growing old gracefully at home with his family; too much of his time had been spent at airports and in hotels.

"The time has now come to slow down, to sip rooibos tea with my beloved wife in the afternoons, to watch cricket and rugby and soccer and tennis, to travel to visit my children and grandchildren, rather than to conferences and conventions and university campuses," he said.

The good-natured Tutu, who became a global figure and used his church pulpit to help bring down apartheid will turn 79 on October 7 but retired more than a decade ago from his post as the Anglican archbishop of Cape Town.

He has established a peace foundation, advised political leaders, served in a council of retired global statesmen and women and had been an active public speaker.

According to SAPA the Nobel peace laureate would no longer be available for media interviews. He will continue to offer his support however for his peace foundation but plans to step down from a university post and his work with a UN commission on preventing genocide.

"As Madiba said on his retirement: 'Don't call me, I'll call you'," he said.

Reiterating that introducing Mandela as president of South Africa was one of the greatest moments of his life.

"I said to God, 'God, if I die now, I don't really mind'."

Tutu was awarded the Nobel peace prize in 1984. He served as Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town from 1986 to 1996 and chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.