The Shifting Sands of Time

A brief look at the complex transformations at work at the Macassar Beach Pavilion and its surrounds.

The Pavilion was, however, doomed from the start. Built on a mobile dune ecosystem, the wind-blown sands made maintenance untenable. Exacerbated by “incidents of vandalism and burglaries, and no money to fix it,” the Pavilion fell into disrepair and eventual abandonment to the forces of nature. (Staff Reporter, 2019)

Parts of the derelict structure collapsed, paint pealed, and the ever-moving sands began to reclaim the space, pouring through windows and doors like an endless flow in some unseen hourglass counting towards infinity.

The waterpark, all but forgotten by Capetonians, enjoyed a revival in its dereliction. The more ruinous it became the more popular its legend among photographers and filmmakers. The site has been immortalised in several international science fiction productions including BBC’s Doctor Who, and Ridley Scott’s Raised by Wolves, both productions hosted at Cape Town Film Studios. At the time of writing, the Pavilion is still featured at number 3 on the list of Top 10 Abandoned Locations in Africa for production outfit Film Fixers Africa.

Regardless its belated fame, the site could not withstand its own demise.

Macassar Dunes Conservation Area

From an environmental perspective the re-establishment of the natural habitat is good news. The Macassar Beach Pavilion was directly adjacent the Macassar Dunes Conservation Area, one of the last bastions of the endangered Cape Flats Dune Strandveld ecosystem. A biodiversity fact sheet from 2011 states that “the False Bay form is rapidly approaching Critically Endangered status.  Only 30% remains, with only 19% in a good condition.” (City of Cape Town, 2011)

Protection of this ecosystem is not the foremost concern in returning the moving dunes to nature. As reported by Steve Kretzmann (2019) for GroupUp, the City is concerned with the significantly increased risks of storm-surges due to sea-level rise and climate change. There is a high likelihood of damage to property in and around Cape Town to the amount of tens of billions of Rands.  

Quoting the proceedings of a meeting on 15 August 2019, Mayoral Committee Member Marian Nieuwoudt said, “We may need to retreat and allow nature to provide a barrier to the ocean.” The Dune Strandveld is intended to shelter the Macassar residents who live on the northern edge of the conservation area.  

Although the City of Cape Town recently published an alluring City News (2022) article titled “City’s Conservation Area in Macassar East full of wonder” stating it “boasts a very high quality Cape Flats Dune Strandveld,” the reality is that the tiny 2km² conservation site is in a poor state with heavy pollution blowing in on the wind from the surrounding townships and suburbs, and outright dumping of broken television sets and household garbage closer to the road.

The Kramat of Sheikh Yusuf Al-Makassari

On the northern edge of the Macassar Dunes Conservation area, lies a significant historical monument. It is the birthplace of Islam in South Africa.

The Kramat of Sheikh Yusuf Al-Makassari is a small complex with a commemorative minaret, a dargah, or tomb—where four of Shiekh Yusuf’s original retinue are buried—and the main kramat, or shrine, where Sheikh Yusuf is buried. 

According to the signage at the Kramat the monument was in a terrible state of disrepair when the grounds were purchased by Hajee Sullaiman Shahmahomed. The current shrine was built on the site of the previous and significant efforts were made to stabilise the sandy soil to support the current monuments.

Born to noble parents in 1626 in Java (Indonesia), Sheikh Yusuf was a committed Muslim Scholar. At 22 years old, in 1644, he embarked on scholarly travels to different Muslim countries, including Mecca and Yemen. Returning 23 years later, he took up a position as imam to the court of Sultan Ageng. (Rafudeen, 2019)

As Auwais Rafudeen (2019) highlights in his book on Sheikh Yusuf’s writings, they soon became a thorn in the side of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). They “engaged in anti-Dutch foreign policy, and supported uprisings against Dutch” (2019:2). Manoeuvring the pro-Dutch sentiments of one of the Sultans sons, the VOC managed to exile Sheikh Yusuf to Batavia in 1682, moving him to Ceylon in 1684. And, “seemingly fearful of the growth of an Islamic resistance movement in the Indian Ocean,” (2019:3) eventually banished him to South Africa in 1694.

The Sheikh was promptly tucked away, far from the main operations of the VOC, on a farm called Zandvliet. It is here that the exiled scholar first read the Quran on South Africa shores.