CAPETONIANS GOING BACK TO THEIR ROOTS
CAPETONIANS will finally be able to track their ancestral roots with the assistance of local non-profit organisation (NPO), the Cape Family Research Forum (CFRF).
The Cape Flats-based network aims to investigate ancestral roots from across the four corners of the trade winds, the Malay connection, the Indian connection, the Malagasy connection, the Macaserene Islands and the East African connection.
The forum was founded by Shamiel Gamieldien in 2002, after he sought to research and trace his own roots, and has now grown to a group of 2 500 amateur historians and community heritage activists seeking to trace and research their own family histories.
Gamieldien said that investigating the ancestral roots of families with complicated and mixed histories, such as those of the Cape Flats, is a long and challenging process which is why the process always starts small.
“When someone wanting to trace their lineage approaches the CFRF, we ask what is their current knowledge of the family and how far back can they recall. Then we branch out and build from that point,” said Gamieldien.
CFRF member Daiyaan Petersen said it was unfortunate that so many people were sitting with this predicament of not knowing their family history and origins, which is why the forum’s work to establish these records and make them more accessible was so important.
“Young and old are interested and want to know where they come from. However, most don’t have the time to actually sit down and analyse the research and findings. Thus we try to assist in making things easier,” said Petersen Yazid Buhaardien said he found the CFRF at an expo where he came across his wife’s family tree amid their collection, which sparked an interest in getting in contact with the group and tracking down his own family roots from District Six.
“The research process is long and challenging but I look forward to discovering more of my family history,” said Buhaardien.
Shafieka Salie-Effendi said that CFRF’s experience in the process of actually going to the archives and investigating her lineage had been instrumental in her findings so far as most of the time people use the term “coloured” as a blanket over all the lost heritage and ancestry.
“I was guided by a genealogy researcher who was able to advise and inform me of the system, how to decode and find the information I needed.”
Salie-Effendi said it was difficult to undertake this process alone because most of the surnames had been changed so many times over the years that they were almost unrecognisable.
“In the archives we came across Doubt and Dawt that actually referred to the surname Dawood, so I can only imagine how much more challenging this process would be without this kind of assistance.”