Hundreds pay respects to Desmond Tutu ahead of low-key funeral

Mourners queue in Cape Town to see casket of former archbishop, who requested a funeral without lavish expense

Hundreds of mourners queued outside Saint George's cathedral in Cape Town, waiting to pay their respects before the plain wooden casket bearing the remains of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who died six days ago aged 90.

Clerics, family members, close friends and dignitaries will attend a requiem mass for Tutu, the icon of the fight for freedom in South Africa, on Saturday morning. Their numbers will be restricted due to Covid regulations. President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to read a eulogy.