WATCH: Desmond Tutu mural defaced with k-word in Cape Town

A mural of Archbishop Desmond Tutu has been defaced in the Cape Town CBD, with one of the worst racial pejoratives ever uttered in South Africa – the k-word.

According to Independent Online (IOL), the discovery was made by two videographers – Wesley Fester and Saamwiet Moos, who had just returned from a meeting on Saturday, 25 September 2021.

The publication has quoted Moos as saying they were so stunned by the revelation that they had to look twice to make sure it was real.

“We had to do a double take. I saw it out of the corner of my eye. And then I stopped Wesley and said, check what someone did here.We were baffled. It took us a bit of time to process it. And then we filmed it,” he said.

WATCH: Desmond Tutu’s vandalised mural

The discovery of Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s mural comes two weeks before the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate turns 90 (7 October)

Tutu is considered an icon and just like former president Nelson Mandela, gained global recognition for his efforts to fight apartheid in South Africa.

Further speaking of the damaged artwork which honours Tutu, Moos questioned why the vandals would do such, given his standing in society.

“It’s not like the Arch has a questionable past. So it is a bad reflection on whoever wrote it (the k-word on the mural) and how that person sees him and the role he (Tutu) played. And that made it more shocking. The person who the Arch is, you wouldn’t expect anyone to refer to him like that,” he told IOL.