Anglican Archbishop Desmond Chuchu declined to comment on the Dalai Lama's application for a visa to visit South Africa.
Tutu invited the Dalai Lama to attend the 80th birthday celebration in Cape Town on October 7th.
The two have been friends for a while.
The government rejected the Dalai Lama a visa to South Africa in 2009 at the request of China, which controls Tibet, where Tibetan spiritual leader, is being expelled.
Chuchu approached yesterday, he had no intention of commenting.
The weekend newspaper reported that the Dalai Lama, who lives in India, applied for a visa as South Africa's High Commissioner in New Delhi. The High Commissioner clearly had not received the application, and representatives of the Dalai Lama are planning to apply again today.
The Home Office said there is no record of the Dalai Lama applying for a visa.
Sources told the Cape Times that a representative from Chuchu's office went to Cape Town's interior affairs on Friday with all the information from the Dalai Lama, but left without a visa.
They were told they could not apply from South Africa.
Previously, the representative of India's Dalai Lama was said to not be applied before the permit was granted in South Africa.
Sonam Tessing, president of South Africa's Dalai Lama, did not answer the phone yesterday.
Interior spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa said the Dalai Lama has not yet applied for a visa.
“We have confirmed with our diplomatic mission in New Delhi and have confirmed that no such application has been received against the Dalai Lama.”
Mamoepa said that Dalai Lama's application is deemed to have been received.
“If you have an application, you can only address the issue,” he said.
ANC spokesman Brian Soktu refused to be attracted to the party's stance.
“It's an internal affairs issue. I don't think there's any need to politicize his visit. I don't think the housework should be asked to comment if he says he's not applying.”
DA spokesman on International Relations and Cooperation, Stephens Mokugarapa, has called on the government to be allowed to visit South Africa.
“We were pretty terrified when the Dalai Lama was denied a visa. He feels he should be allowed to get a visa.
“We believe that the South African government should not succumb to pressure from China. Tutu should be allowed to invite someone to celebrate his personal birthday.”
International Relations and Cooperation spokesman Clayson Moniera and presidential spokeswoman Zanele Mngadi introduced all the questions to the Home Office.
The government rejected the Dalai Lama a visa to attend the Peace Conference held in Johannesburg in April 2009. Tutu and former president FW de Klerk said that it will boycott the meeting and be postponed.
At the time, Director General Mabuso Misiman, Interior Affairs, was quoted as saying that the Dalai Lama application was “flawed.”
A ministerial counselor at the embassy of Dai Bin, a Pretoria embassy, was quoted at the time as saying that his government had either banned Pretoria the Dalai Lama or urged the risk of damaging relations with his country.
(Email Protection) – Cape Time
