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De Waterkant, situated on the slopes of Signal Hill and
overlooking Table Bay, has a history that dates back to the
1700’s.
Although De Waterkant forms part of the Bo-Kaap, which has
buildings dating from the 1760’s, little is known about
this area’s diverse cultural and architectural history.
Most of the buildings were erected by slaves from the East
and by free natives who mainly practiced Islam. Because many
of the inhabitants were thus Muslim/Malay, the entire Bo-Kaap
area became know as the Malay Quarter.
The architectural style used by the slaves is a mixture of
Cape Dutch, from when the Dutch colonized the Cape after the
arrival of Jan van Riebeeck in 1652, and Georgian, from when
the British invaded the Cape in 1795 and 1806. Although the
area’s architecture comes from European design, it originated
from Oriental craftsmen. So, along with the buildings being
both Cape Dutch and Georgian in style, it also has some element
of eastern design. Proof of this can be seen in the verandahs,
which extend the full length of the front of the house. As
there were no drainage system and the streets became streams
when it rained, these roofless stoeps where built.
The houses where built with a mixture of crushed seashells
and lime, to produce a very hard plaster. The plaster made
it possible to use less reliable building material such as
mud and clay. The buildings where built with rocks retrieved
from the quarry on the other side of Strand Street.
The Malay Community played an extremely important role in
shaping the area into what it became. They not only brought
their religion, but also their skills, such as carpentry and
cooking. The Afrikaans spoken in Cape Town is a mixture of
Dutch and Arabic, a language still used by the Muslims.
The Muslims were not only important to the area, but the
area was also important to them. When the honored Sheik Yusuf
was banished to the Cape as political prisoner in 1681, because
he was involved in the revolt against the Netherlands, he
found a Muslim Community in his new land. Even before his
arrival at the Cape he was regarded as a “Kramat”
or holy one. When he died in 1699 a domed tomb was placed
over his grave. This is one of six tombs in the city.
Not much is recorded about De Waterkant after those early
beginnings. What is evident is that it was a regular neighborhood
where children, irrespective of race, religion and cultural
background, would play badminton and cricket in the streets
while the entire neighborhood watched and cheered them on.
That is, until the Group Areas Act was enforced in 1966.
This Act forced the so-called blacks and coloureds to move
out of De Waterkant and onto the Cape Flats, to places like
Manenburg, Bonteheuwel and Mitchell’s Plain. The residents
of Loader Street were the second group to be moved. The only
coloureds left in the Bo-Kaap were those living above Strand
Street.
After the Group Areas Act was enforced, De Waterkant became
a predominately white neighborhood. The area has since been
declared a National Preservation Area, and has been renovated
over the years with certain guidelines to preserve the architectural
style used by the slaved in the eighteenth century. Today,
De Waterkant has become a very cosmopolitan area and boasts
Cape Town’s first guest street, incorporating Loader
and Waterkant Streets.
De Waterkant, diverse in culture and architecture, remains
the friendly, welcoming village of yesteryear, where the resounding
Noon Gun can clearly be heard and residents are woken by the
early morning sounds of ships in the harbour.
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