Oeseman Materma of Hanover Park, Cape Town having a moment of quiet contemplation at the grave of Sayed Abdul Kader at the Kramat in Caledon.Photos: Mitzi Buys


After a long absence it was a heart- warming sight to see a tour bus in Caledon again.

A group of more than 60 Muslim senior citizens from Hanover Park, Cape Town and the Strand paid a visit to the Sayed Abdul Kader Kramat as well as to the Caledon Wildflower Garden on Sunday 2 October.

A kramat is a grave, the final resting place of a saint of the Islamic faith or tomb of a holy person. The Guide to Karamats in the Western Cape describes 23 such sites, the one in Caledon the only one in the Overberg.

Mahmood Limbada, chairperson of the Cape Mazaar Society, who accompanied the group, told Hermanus Times an application to declare the kramat in Caledon a national heritage site had been lodged with SAHRA (The South African Heritage Resources Agency).

This move will boost tourism, especially halal tourism, which is a growing local market.

Marlon Sauls of the Caledon Museum gave a talk on the kramat’s place in Caledon’s history, while businessman Zane Cupido spoke of the person buried there, Sayed Abdul Kader.

After a brief visit to the Caledon Mosque, the group visited the Caledon Wildflower Garden, where Lizël Kimber of Beyond Black Mountain spoke about the history of the gardens and the rich and varied variety of indigenous plants to be found there.

There the group was served a hearty meal that was sponsored by Zane Cupido and cooked by Laeeka Khatieb of Myddleton.

Shanaaz Scholtz of the Amal NPO, which organised the tour, explained to Hermanus Times that Amal is “a humanitarian aid and relief centre, and we organise trips for the underprivileged elderly.

“This is an opportunity for them to go to areas they have not visited before, especially those with Islamic significance.”

For most of the visitors it was their first visit to Caledon, which they said they loved and looked forward to visiting again.

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