- The Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation says it is elated that the Old Granary building will be renamed to honour the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his wife Leah.
- The building will be renamed “Desmond and Leah Tutu House”. This follows the council’s approval of the renaming following a public participation process that started in September this year.
- The name change is to honour and memorialise the life and work of the late archbishop and his wife.
The Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation says it is elated that the Old Granary building will be renamed to honour the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his wife Leah.
The building will be renamed “Desmond and Leah Tutu House”. This follows the council’s approval of the renaming following a public participation process that started in September this year.
The name change is to honour and memorialise the life and work of the late archbishop and his wife.
The building, situated in Buitenkant Street in the city centre, was originally constructed between 1808 and 1813.
Over the past 200 years, it has been used as a bakery, granary, jail for women, customs house, court and police office, and public works offices.
The foundation believes that the renaming will mark the building as a centre for peace, justice and equality.
Janet Jobson, Chief Executive Officer of the foundation, says the foundation partnered with the City in 2015 to renovate and bring to life the building as a home for the foundation and its work in building peace and tackling discrimination and injustice in South Africa and the world.
She says, that in 2019, their sister organisation, the Archbishop Tutu Intellectual Property Trust, also set up an office in the building.
“We are thrilled that the City has proposed to rename the building in honour of our founders – Archbishop Tutu and Mrs Leah Tutu. We will continue to honour the long, and varied, history of the building through our permanent exhibition about the Old Granary.”
She says the Archbishop and Leah were two iconic inhabitants of Cape Town.
As Archbishop of Cape Town from 1986 to 1996, Tutu led a global struggle against apartheid, and for the liberation as a country.
“He then took on the crucial role of guiding us through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) processes, and remained a powerful activist for women, children, LGBTQIA rights, people living with HIV, and against corruption and climate change amongst many other issues.”
She adds: “The renaming of the building is a powerful way to honour and cement the legacy of Desmond and Leah Tutu into the landscape of the city they loved so much and have contributed so much to.”
Jobson says the renaming has been in the pipeline for a few years. “There have been discussions around the possibility of renaming the building for some years. Over the past year, the City, the foundation and the Archbishop Tutu Intellectual Property Trust all came together around the plans for renaming.”
Eddie Andrews, the City’s Deputy Mayor and chair of the City’s Naming Committee, says: “We welcome the Council’s decision and I want to thank all who participated – from those who made the proposal for the name change, to the public participation unit who steered the process, the mayor for his support, and finally, the council who endorsed this decision.”
James Vos, Mayco member for economic growth, says: “Our vision is to carry on the legacy of Desmond and Leah Tutu who have not only made notable contributions to the political and socio-cultural identity of Cape Town and South Africa but are global icons for virtue and fortitude of character.”
He says the official renaming will take place during a ceremony in the new year.
