Desmond Tutu's daughter leaves Anglican Church after marrying female partner

'I can no longer exercise my priestly ministry in South Africa,' says Desmond Tutu's daughter, Mpho Tutu-Van Furth

Ms Tutu van Furth was first ordained as a minister in 2004 and has campaigned against homophobia and racism since she was a teenager (Getty Images)

Desmond Tutu’s daughter has announced she will relinquish her priesthood following her marriage to her female partner.

Reverend Mpho Tutu Van-Furth, the former Archbishop of Cape Town’s daughter, said she had been forced to make the decision to leave the church after it refused to recognise her marriage.

Tutu Van-Furth married Dutch academic Marceline Furth in a small ceremony in the Netherlands.

Tutu Van-Furth was first ordained as a minister in 2004 and has campaigned against homophobia and racism since she was a teenager.

“Because the South African Anglican church does not recognise our marriage, I can no longer exercise my priestly ministry in South Africa,” Ms Tutu-van Furth told City Press.

“The bishop [of Cape Town] was instructed to revoke my licence. I decided that I would give it to him rather than have him take it.”

Although same-sex marriage was legalised in South Africa in 2006, the Anglican church in the country’s law on marriage affirms: “Holy matrimony is the lifelong and exclusive union between one man and one woman.” There is a deep split in the South African church over LGBT issues.

Tutu, who won the 1984 Nobel peace prize for his work as an anti-apartheid activist, is an avid supporter of same-sex marriage and has campaigned against homophobia.