Father Michael Lapsley

In 1990, a letter bomb was sent to anti-apartheid activist and ANC member, Father Michael Lapsley. It exploded resulting in him losing not only both his hands, but also one of his eyes. The letter was suspected to have been sent from the then reigning Apartheid-era’s secret police service.

Now, 22 years later in his new memoir, Redeeming the Past, Ft Lapsley tells the remarkable story of what led to this horrendous attack all those years ago, as well as his journey to acceptance, reconciliation, recovery, forgiveness and ultimately redemption.  

In 1990, a letter bomb was sent to anti-apartheid activist and ANC member, Father Michael Lapsley. It exploded resulting in him losing not only both his hands, but also one of his eyes. The letter was suspected to have been sent from the then reigning Apartheid-era’s secret police service.

Now, 22 years later in his new memoir, Redeeming the Past, Ft Lapsley tells the remarkable story of what led to this horrendous attack all those years ago, as well as his journey to acceptance, reconciliation, recovery, forgiveness and ultimately redemption.  

This memoir has been internationally acclaimed and the foreword was written by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. A score of endorsements have also been received from Nelson Mandela, American actor Danny Glover and Nobel Prize winner, Nadine Gordimer.

BACKGROUND

 In 1973 Ft Lapsley, who was born in New Zealand, moved to South Africa to study. He became actively involved in the Anti-apartheid movement and quickly joined the ANC. Like many Anti-Apartheid activists of that time, Lapsley was exiled and fled to Lesotho in late 1976. There he befriended the Bishop of Lesotho, Desmond Tutu who remains a good friend to this day. While in Lesotho, Ft Lapsley stayed with the liberation struggle and through great determination became an international ambassador for freedom and justice in South Africa. Ft Lapsley then went across the border to Zimbabwe and it was while living there, in the seemingly safe surrounds of a country not tarnished by social/racial division at that time that Lapsley received and opened the letter bomb.

 After his recovery he moved back to South Africa and became a priest in Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu’s diocese, the Anglican Diocese of Cape Town, a position he holds to this day.

In 1998, Ft Lapsley founded the Institute for Healing of Memories in order to work with victims of trauma. The institute, of which Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu is a patron, describes their vision as seeking to contribute to the healing journey of individuals, communities and nations.

More than two decades after the infamous letter bomb, Ft Lapsley attributes the loss of his hands as one of the key elements which lead to his success as a healer. “My visible brokenness creates a bond with others whose brokenness is often less visible, but just as real. Pain unites people, and in my work as a healer, many people say they can trust me because I know pain.” 

Redeeming the Past is available online at www.struikinspirational.co.za and will be available at all leading retailers nationwide from 15 September.