Tutu to undergo minor surgery: family

South Africa's retired archbishop Desmond Tutu will this week undergo minor surgery to fix an undisclosed but persistent infection, his family said Tuesday.

The 84-year-old Nobel Peace laureate was hospitalised 13 days ago to treat a recurring infection.

His family said in a statement that he was still in Cape Town hospital where he is responding "well" to treatment, but will have to undergo surgery.

"The Archbishop will undergo a small surgical procedure on Wednesday to address the root cause of the infections," said a statement released by the family.

The statement did not provide further details.

He was hospitalised three times in 2015 over a persistent infection that his foundation -- the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation -- said was a result of the prostate cancer treatment he has been receiving for nearly 20 years.

The much-adored former archbishop of Cape Town, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, gaining worldwide prominence for his strong opposition to South Africa's apartheid regime.