Bo-Kaap land auction cancelled

THE auction of two portions of “sacred” land in a cemetery in Bo-Kaap, the site of the oldest Muslim cemetery in South Africa, has been cancelled.

This followed objections from the Tana Baru Trust.

Claremart, the auctioning group, advertised the land to be auctioned at the end of the month at a reserve price of R20 million.

This was met with outrage by the trust, saying the Tana Baru’s historical significance resides in it being the first officially recognised Muslim cemetery in South Africa.

The two plots constitute 20% of the cemetery.

The trust had charged that the Claremart advert was misleading to potential buyers as it “fails to mention that the two erven form part of a graveyard”.

Yesterday, Claremart general executive director Andrew Koch said: “We cannot proceed to auction property whose ownership is under dispute.

“We feel the responsible thing is to cancel the auction, which we have done.”

Koch said the decision to cancel the auction came after it came to their attention that the land being sold was under dispute. He said the instruction to auction the two erven had been given to Claremart by the current title holders.

The cancellation had been discussed with the sellers, a group of heirs from the community, and Koch had advised them to re-engage with the community regarding the historical and religious significance of the land and its ownership.

“Once we became aware of this (dispute), despite the fact that we were properly mandated, we immediately engaged the community directly.” He said the auctioning

group had contacted Igshaan Higgins, who represents Bo-Kaap Youth led by Adnaan Osman, a strong civic organisation focused on the heritage and future of the area, and informed them of the intention to cancel the auction.

He said he trusted that the current registered owners and the community of Bo-Kaap would reach an amicable solution which would benefit the wider community.

The Tana Baru Trust spokesperson Mohammad Groenewald welcomed Claremart’s decision to cancel the auction saying the decision “is a progressive statement from the auctioning company”.

“But we (still) need to convince the family not to sell, because they could approach someone else. We need to make sure the family understands the land is sacred and needs to be protected,” said Groenewald.

On January 17, 1886, there was a revolt against the closure by the colonial authorities of the Tana Baru cemetery when the Muslim community wanted to bury a child there.

According to SA History Online, about 3 000 Muslims followed the funeral procession in defiance of the colonisers, with the police keeping a close watch on the procession. After the burial, 12 policemen attempted to take perceived offenders’ names, but were pelted with stones, forcing them to abandon the area.

In an attempt to preserve the heritage of the Tana Baru uprising and its sacred burial space, a Committee for the Preservation of the Tana Baru was formed in the early 1980s and in 1998 the Tana Baru Trust was formed.