Cape Town - Preparations for Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu’s 86th birthday celebrations are under way with the City of Cape Town announcing plans to unveil his monument.
Mayor Patricia de Lille and Design Indaba chief executive Ravi Naidoo said the monument called “Arch for the Arch” consisted of 14 individual arched beams of wood, which together form a dome.
It would be unveiled on Saturday, to coincide with Tutu’s birthday, next to St George’s Cathedral, at the corner of Wale and Adderley streets.
De Lille said: “As a leader in our faith community, Archbishop Tutu continues to speak truth to power before and after our liberation. I was fortunate to be one of the members of the Constitutional Assembly that wrote the final constitution.
“The Arch for the Arch, representing the 14 chapters of our constitution, must be a constant reminder about where we come from and the need to uphold its values.”
De Lille said inspiration for the monument was drawn from the constitution.
“Our constitution is considered one of the most progressive in the world, and similarly to how an arch relies on a keystone to avoid collapse, so too do South African freedoms rely on the constitution,” she said.
The monument was commissioned by Design Indaba and sponsored by Liberty, while the structure was created by Nordic architectural firm Snøhetta.