On the 2 April 1694, Sheikh Yusuf of Makassar, the Nephew of the King of Gowa arrived in the Cape Colony to serve his political banishment at the hands of the Dutch East India Company. Sheikh Yusuf’s home became a sanctuary for the slaves of the Cape, and it was from these slaves and political exiles that the first cohesive Muslim community in South Africa emerged. In 2005, Sheikh Yusuf was Posthumously Awarded the Order of the Companions of OR Tambo in Gold, by the President of the Republic of South Africa, for his contribution to the struggle against colonialism. In 1794, the first ... read more
