Bo-Kaap Museum and Walking Tour
A usual morning in Cape Town as we piled into the 9-person taxis known as “ventures”. Our destination: The Bo-Kaap Museum where we were to meet Shireenn Misbach-Habib. Shireen is a lifetime resident of the Bo-Kaap, a former politician and a well-respected historian known throughout Cape Town. Prior to meeting Shireen, our group explored the museum; we familiarized ourselves with what exactly the Bo-Kaap community consisted of and looked at the beautiful photographs that have documented the rich culture of Bo-Kaap.
Shireen arrived to the museum and instantly opened all the blinds, pouring light into the dimly lit museum. It was clear that Shireen was a vibrant individual. She taught us about how the Bo-Kaap, which is an area in the heart of Cape Town, consists mainly of Malays. Malays are the men and women who came to South Africa from Indonesia during the slave trade. The slave trade began in 1652 as the Dutch implemented a plan to attract the Malays to come to South Africa without force. What the Dutch did was this: they took the Sufi Saints (religious leaders) to South Africa and in return, many Malays from Indonesia followed. The Dutch didn’t have to kick down any doors, they just waved the Sufi Saints in front of the Malays and they came. In the Bo-Kaap, which is near the harbor, you will find mosques and unique architecture that reflect the religious views and lifestyles of the Malays’ community life. Shireen told us about important figures in the Bo-Kaap such as Tuan Guru who was imprisoned on Robben Island for 30 years. During Tuan Guru’s time on Robben Island he wrote the Quaran from memory! When he was released he started the first mosque.
Shireen went on to tell us about life when the British emancipated slavery. Hospitals, schools and homes were built and it was a great time for everyone in the Bo-Kaap. This is when many of the beautiful buildings and homes you see in the Bo-Kaap were built. According to Shireen: “It was party time in Bo-Kaap!” Shortly after this, Apartheid was put into effect and everyone was separated. Up until this time the Bo-Kaap hadn’t been solely Malays, but many different ethnic groups. The Malays were forced to move and even the different white groups were separated. In 1966, a flourishing area called District Six was bulldozed.
It was interesting at this point as Shireen told as that she wasn’t going to do any more history about Bo-Kaap and she gave us some more interesting facts about the area. She told us about Moulood-an-Nabi, which represents the Birth of the Prophet. This is when they go into the bush, collect orange and lemon leaves and proceed to cut the leaves. We also learned about the “Noon Gun”, which is a cannon that is shot off every day at noon. The first use of the Noon Gun was in 1810, it signaled when ships were coming into the harbor. After World War II, the Noon Gun’s purpose changed: it was shot off everyday to commemorate those soldiers lost in battle. At the sound of the Noon Gun, everyone was to stand quietly for one minute.
After learning about all of the interesting things in and about Bo-Kaap, Shireen took us on a walking tour of the area. She took us by the first mosque built in South Africa, which Nelson Mandela helped rebuild in 1994. Something I found interesting was the name of the streets in Bo-Kaap. You could tell the different backgrounds of the street names; many of the street names came from German, Italian, Dutch and British origins. A disturbing thing about the Bo-Kaap is that many of the people (especially senior citizens) are being forced to leave due to a rising property tax. Shireen seemed extremely displeased with the actions of many foreigners who come and buy a home, let it sit for a few years and then sell it off for ridiculous prices. The vibrant community that once had the streets littered with children and musicians now seemed to be fading. As we continued up and down the hilly stone streets we came upon “Smartie Town”, which is a row of homes that are painted in bright colors. In 1994, Nelson Mandela allowed people to paint their homes however they wanted and this row of homes were painted loud, bright colors, representing their new freedom in a post-apartheid society. We then made our way up to the Tun Baru Burial Ground. Tun Baru means “New Ground”. This is where many of the ancestors are buried, including Tuan Guru. From the burial ground we had a great view of the city and just as in many big cities in South Africa, directly next to the large office buildings was a squatter camp where people without homes set up a place to live.
The day had already been fabulous and Shireen capped it off by taking us to her home and serving us lunch. Her home was beautiful and so was the food! She served us Samoosas, Chili Bites, Koeksisters (sweet cinnamon cakes), fruit, yogurt, all types of juice and a variety of fruits that included guavas, bananas and oranges. She finished the meal with some tea and just as we were drinking the tea. BANG. It was the Noon Gun; Jess screamed as the loud bang was quite startling.
After we finished our food, Shireen spoke to us a bit about her history working with the ANC (African National Congress). As she was displaced during the times of Apartheid she began to house exiles in her home at the Cape Flats (infamous township where many victims of Apartheid were sent). These people who stayed with her had made flags and were spreading the word that Mandela was still alive. The current Parliament in South Africa has multiple individuals serving who stayed with Shireen during this tumultuous time. She spoke briefly about the violence and struggle she experienced balancing family life and a life fighting Apartheid. It was beginning to dawn on all of us how lucky we were to be in the presence of such an influential person.
In 1999, Shireen was pressured into standing for the ANC in her ward, which went beyond Bo-Kaap where she was not as well known. She spoke of the positive things she was able to do such as help out families who were experiencing tough times. She seemed to really enjoy being involved in the community. After talking about all of the positive things, her tone began to change. As some know, the current state of South Africa is not great. She wasn’t quite sure of where the ANC was headed and was frustrated with the political corruption and inefficiency that seemed to be occurring. She said that since 2000, things just don’t seem to be going well.
As we wrapped up the day, Shireen told us about the book she is writing. Her book will talk about her time living in Bo-Kaap and it will be directed toward high school age children. It was such an honor to see a part of Cape Town that has such rich culture and to have someone like Shireen tell us all about it. We left her home to the sound of prayers being projected by audio speakers in the streets. It was around 1 pm and time for prayer. I believe that this day at the museum and more importantly with Shireen showed us that South Africa isn’t just a country that is separated by blacks and whites. It’s a country that, much like America, has a multitude of ethnicities and religions and as life goes on, these things begin to get integrated into one another.
