Why did Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa coin the phrase Rainbow Nation?
Desmond Tutu used the phrase to describe the population of South Africa shortly after the first democratic elections of 1994. This phrase was later used by Nelson Mandela who heard it from Tutu. Being a cleric Tutu used to talk about “the rainbow people of God’ during sermons. The word rainbow alludes to the Biblical story of Noah’s flood and its ensuing the rainbow of peace. The word is also significant in the African Xhosa culture where it is representitive of hope and bright future. Politically the word symbolises the diverse population of South Africa finally uniting.
