Nomalizo Leah Tutu


Nomalizo Leah Tutu is a South African activist and the wife of Desmond Tutu.

Life

Nomalizo Leah Tutu was born Nomalizo Leah Shenxane in 1933 in Krugersdorp. She married Desmond Tutu on July 2, 1955. They had four children: Trevor Thamsanqa, Theresa Thandeka, Naomi Nontombi and Mpho Andrea, all of whom attended the Waterford Kamhlaba School in Swaziland. They have 9 grandchildren: Palesa Tutu and Lizo Tutu via Trevor, Xabiso Gxashe via Thandeka, Tebogo Joy Ngoma, Nompumelelo Ngomane, and Mpilo Ngomane via Naomi, and Nyaniso Burris and Onalena Burris via Mpho. They renewed their marriage vows in 2015 in Orlando, Soweto. She underwent hip surgery in 2016.

Career and activism

Leah is a teacher and a nurse. During the period between 1970 and 1972, she worked as an assistant to the registrar at the University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland. She co-founded the South African Domestic Workers Association. She was the director of the Domestic Workers and Employers Project of the South African Institute of Race Relations from 1976 to 1984. She co-founded the Desmond Tutu Peace Center in 1988. She lectures to many churches and women's groups.

Honors

In 2000, the National Louis University awarded her an honorary doctorate, along with her husband. In 2009, she and her husband were awarded the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Peacemaker Award by the We Are Family Foundation.