Desmond Tutu in hospital for infection, foundation says

(CNN) -- Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu checked into a South African hospital Wednesday for treatment of a persistent infection, his foundation announced.

Tutu, 81, also will undergo tests at the hospital in Cape Town to determine the cause of the infection, the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation said. Details of the infection were not released.

"The archbishop spent the morning in his office today before checking into hospital. He was in good spirits and full of praise for the care he receives from an exceptional team of doctors," the foundation said.

The nonsurgical treatment is expected to take five days, according to the foundation.

2012: 'Elders' seek action in Sudan

The Anglican cleric was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his efforts to end and heal the wounds of apartheid, South Africa's system of institutionalized racial segregation.

He served as archbishop of Cape Town -- overseeing the church throughout South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland and Lesotho -- from 1986 until his retirement in 1996. He retired from public life in 2011.

Tutu was successfully treated in the United States for prostate cancer in 1997.

"We wish him a speedy recovery and trust that he will soon resume his noble duties in the transformative socio-economic agenda of our country," said South Africa's governing African National Congress.

READ MORE: Tutu wins Templeton Prize

READ MORE: Desmond Tutu labels South Africa as one of the most violent nations