'I want to drink tea with my wife': Rainbow nation's anti-Apartheid icon Desmond Tutu to retire from public life aged 79

 ARCHBISHOP Desmond Tutu, a leading figure in South Africa's struggle against apartheid, is retiring from public life.

The 78-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner who first dubbed South Africa the 'Rainbow Nation' and campaigned tirelessly for its democracy, said yesterday he wanted to spend more time with his children, grandchildren and wife of 55 years.

The news was greeted with sadness and resignation in South Africa where the 5ft 5in priest, instantly recognisable in his flowing claret gowns, has a unique ability to unite the population in the face of deep racial divisions.

 End of an era: Archbishop Desmond Tutu, seen here in London in 2004, is to retire from public life

Now time for the important things: Archbishop Tutu's wife Leah puts her arm around him as he stands at the helm of yacht in 2007

He said the time had come for him to 'slow down' and 'sip rooibos tea with my beloved wife in the afternoons, to watch cricket and to travel to visit my children and grandchildren rather than to conferences, conventions and university campuses'.

He will begin scaling down his activities following his 79th birthday in October.

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Pressure on his time has been even greater since Nelson Mandela's withdrawal from public life six years ago. The two iconic men have homes in the same street in the township of Soweto. Yesterday's announcement cast a shadow over the country, which is coming down from the high of hosting the World Cup.

The archbishop, a father of four, appeared on a number of occasions during the tournament and gave a rousing speech at the opening concert, shouting: 'I'm dreaming, I'm dreaming. It's so beautiful - wake me up!'

He was once referred to as 'that evil little bishop' by Zimbabwe's president, Robert Mugabe.

But Nelson Mandela said: 'Tutu's voice will always be the voice of the voiceless.

 Historic: Archbishop Tutu shakes has with former South African president FW de Klerk in Johannesburg (file photo).

 Leaders of the Rainbow Nation: Archbishop Tutu with former South African president Nelson Mandela in 2001

He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, then used his new international stature to step up the campaign against apartheid.

Tutu led calls for punitive sanctions against South Africa, remaining one of the few strong voices inside the country while other activists were imprisoned or forced to operate abroad.

He was ever-present during the turbulent final years of apartheid and the ensuing transition to majority rule, praying and sermonizing after massacres and then heading the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

For more than two years the panel listened to people testifying about torture, killings and other atrocities during the apartheid era.

20th century icons: Archbishop Tutu with Queen Elizabeth in 1999

Family men: David Beckham with the Archbishop in South Africa during the World Cup earlier this month

Former South African president Nelson Mandela made a similar decision to largely retire from public life back in 2004.

Tutu said once he steps down, he will no longer be available for media interviews and new appointments will not be added to his schedule.

He said, though, that he would stay involved with the Nobel Laureate Group and a group of international statesmen and women brought together by Mandela known as the Elders.

Tutu also will remained involved in the Desmond Tutu Peace Center in Cape Town