Look: Tutu Memorial Park construction officially begins in Milnerton

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21-09-2026
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Cape Town Etc
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Construction has officially begun on Tutu Memorial Park in Milnerton, with the former Lupin Park being transformed into a new community space honouring Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Mama Leah Tutu, Cape {town} Etc reports.

The City of Cape Town marked the start of construction on 17 September, with Mama Leah Tutu and Dr Mamphela Ramphele, chairperson of the Archbishop Tutu Intellectual Property Trust, attending the ceremony. The project is expected to take six months, according to the City of Cape Town.

A park built around the Tutu legacy

The redesigned park will include a children’s play area, memorial garden, amphitheatre and public artworks, alongside new parking, lighting, pathways, accessibility upgrades, landscaping, irrigation and public amenities. Murals, sculptures and mosaics will also reflect Archbishop Tutu’s life and legacy.

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said the location carries a personal connection to the Tutu family. ‘This park is on the doorstep of the Tutu family home, and Mama Leah has told us of quiet moments spent here with the Arch, who loved to walk around chatting with the public and also picking up litter.’

‘There is something profoundly fitting about a park where, for years to come, thousands of children will play and connect with the life of Archbishop Tutu,’ Hill-Lewis said.

The City says the design follows previous public consultation, with input from the local community helping shape the upgrade. The Desmond Tutu Intellectual Property Trust, Royal Ascot Master Property Owners Association and Milnerton Central Ratepayers Association are collaborating with the City on the project.

‘The City had previously held public consultations on a design for the park, with the upgrade reflecting extensive ground-up input from the local community,’ Councillor Francine Higham, Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, said.

Once complete, the park is intended to provide space for children to play, neighbours to meet, artists to perform and visitors to reflect, giving a familiar Milnerton park a new role in the community.