South Africa's retired archbishop Desmond Tutu has been hospitalized for a persistent infection, according to relatives and his charity.
The Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation said the 83-year-old anti-apartheid campaigner is “receiving an intensive course of antibiotics to quell a stubborn infection."
“The Tutu family has been overwhelmed by the deluge of love and prayers … that have poured in following Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu's hospitalization on Tuesday,” it said.
Tutu previously has been treated for prostate cancer.
His daughter Mpho told reporters Thursday that her father is expected to remain in the hospital for several more days — but that the infection was not related to his cancer.
"We are confident that he will recover well from treatment and his doctors are also quite satisfied that his cancer remains dormant and well under control," Mpho said, according to Reuters.
Desmond Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for campaigning against apartheid in South Africa, and later played a key role in its downfall.
