Mayor De Lille and Archbishop Emeritus Tutu announce development proposal for Desmond Tutu Peace Centre
The City of Cape Town is proud to announce that Council will soon consider an exciting joint venture with one of the Freemen of the City, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.
A proposal to lease one of the oldest and most important historic buildings in the East City Precinct of the city will shortly be put to Council for a decision.
Some years ago, the City leased a portion of vacant land near the Convention Centre to the Desmond Tutu Peace Trust, with the intention of the Trust developing a Peace Centre on the land.
This development has, for various reasons, not materialised. However, the recent retirement of the Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu from public office has allowed him to focus his energy on his foundation, known as the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation.
The foundation's main functions are to develop and manage partnerships and legacy-promoting programmes, and to contribute to the positioning of Cape Town as a world capital for the intellectual and practical pursuit of local and global peace, morality and human dignity.
The proposal is to locate the foundation in the Granary building, which is recognised by heritage experts as being one of the most significant architectural landmarks in Cape Town.
This 203 year-old building had its first use as a customs house and later housed the post office. In 1820, an observatory was established. It went on to serve as a granary, magistrates court and offices, women's prison and Public Works Department. It is considered that the building's deep history would be well preserved under the banner of the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation which is associated with Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.
A building so rich in history, once traced with violence and justice, now has the prospect of representing the work of a man who has come to symbolise both hope and peace. Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, has received numerous awards from all over the world acknowledging his life's work as one of the greatest apartheid activists and living moral icons of our time. It would therefore be an honour for the City of Cape Town to pay homage to him for his contributions towards the peace and reconciliation our country.
The proposed use would also suit the ambience of the surroundings as the proposed site is in a significant Cape Town heritage area surrounded by the City Hall, Grand Parade, High and Magistrates Courts, and is located close to the District Six museum.
It is therefore proposed that the current lease with the Trust be cancelled and that the Granary building, which is considered more appropriate for the establishment of the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation Centre, be leased to the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, subject to due process being followed and ultimate approval by Council.
We believe that this proposal will serve a dual purpose: restoring a truly unique and important heritage site and ensuring that the extraordinary legacy of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu is recognised and celebrated long into the future.
Statement issued by Executive Mayor Patricia de Lille, City of Cape Town, August 11 2014
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