Cape Town - The South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) intends to declare seven more Kramats in Cape Town and Muizenberg as National Heritage Sites and needs people to comment on the idea.
The Cape Mazaars Society, together with Vidamemoria Heritage Consultants, submitted a serial nomination to have these Kramats declared as National Heritage Sites.
According to the agency’s website, they identified the sites as having exceptional qualities of special national significance and warrant the declaration as National Heritage Sites.
In 2021, the first 10 were declared, SAHRA now intends to declare the seven Kramats.
It is said that approximately 250 years ago a prophecy was made that there would be a “Circle of Islam” around the Cape.
According to local beliefs, the circle is complete, comprising of the tombs of Auliyah (friends of Allah) who were brought as slaves to the Cape. Bo-Kaap Civic and Ratepayers Association’s Osman Shaboodien said: “This public participation has been coming on for some time now. We support the idea that all the Kramats need to be national heritage sites. It’s part of the plan that has been coming since 2014. We are happy it is now in motion and that is at this stage.
“There are a number of Kramats around the city. There is one in Constantia and there are lots in Camps Bay, even on the Devil’s Peak, there are a few others which were declared heritages and a lot more that still need to be given that status, they are over 50.”
He said that these Kramats were people who dedicated their whole lives to the Islamic religion.
“They reached the status which is higher than the Imam, which made a big difference within the faith, they were given that status of Kramat.
“All of them came as slaves from Indonesia, India, Madagascar and many other places. They say Cape Town is a circle of Kramats, from Robben Island to False Bay, you’ll find them everywhere because that is where they settled in peace.”
Shaboodien said the challenge that they had with the Kramats was that, although the shrine is there, they were more worried about the environment in which it stands, that can be desecrated, taken advantage of or disrespected.
“I think it’s a question of trying to maintain not only the heritage but also the integrity of the site.”
To comment about the Kramats visit: https://www.sahra.org.za/public-notice-declaration-of-11-kramats-as-national-heritage-sites/
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za