Situated on Dorp Street in Cape Town's Bo-Kaap and built in 1794, the Auwal Masjid is the first and oldest mosque in South Africa. The Auwal Masjid has been a symbol of the struggle of Cape Muslims for the recognition of Islam and their freedom to worship. It became the centre of Muslim communal activity, regulating and patterning their social and religious life. The mosque was built on land belonging to Coridon of Ceylon, the freed slave of Salie van de Kaap. On September 26, 1794, the Vryezwarten (Free Black Muslim), Coridon of Ceylon, purchased two properties in Dorp Street, becoming the first Muslim to own property in Cape Town. Armand Hough/Independent Newspapers
THE ball is now in the court of the City’s Planning Appeals Advisory Panel (PAAP) to recommend the future of a six-storey hotel development planned to be built less than 20 meters from South Africa’s oldest mosque, Auwal Masjid in Bo Kaap.
The building has drawn widespread criticism from the residents of the historic area, with the Bo-Kaap Civic and Ratepayers Association (BKCRA) expressing concern over the building’s design towering over the heritage residential homes next to it, parking space and the impact on the sound of the Muslim call to prayers.
BKCRA’s Osman Shaboodien said: “It is a very big protruding building on a small plot among buildings that were built in the 1800s and that’s besides the Auwal being in the same block. So you have this new type of building taking up the small plot that it has, get the maximum they can build on it and you have all these surrounding oldish buildings plus the Auwal.
“(We are) not against construction, but what we are against is anything that upsets the whole balance of the heritage environment. What is more concerning is how this hotel would impact the living heritage of the Auwal. There's no parking for the hotel, the window of the rooms of the hotel are 30m away from the minaret of the Auwal which will broadcast the Athan (call to prayers). (There will be an) impact of traffic, impact of sound, there’s going to be a host of challenges going forward besides what the building looks like.”
Flyt Investment Chief Executive Officer Zane De Decker who purchased the property in 2017, referred the Cape Times to a summary of their oral presentations.
“The HWC approval (ROD) for the 9-storey building remains valid today as confirmed by both HWC and City of Cape Town. In 2020 we received CoCT BDM Approval for the 9-storey building and commenced construction. Due to a change in market conditions, we decided to revise the design of the building to smaller units. We embarked on a redesign process, which has resulted in the design before PAAP today. Considering this context, it must be borne in mind that we still have approved building plans for the 9-story building today, and accordingly, our fallback position is to recommence with the construction thereof without the requirement of any further approvals.
“The redesign required a new Public Participation process by HWC which was duly completed.”
Following this, HWC approved a new 8-story design, according to the document.
The City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Eddie Andrews said the appeal authority has 90 days to make a decision and the City would not make any comments until the process had concluded.
“The process is not concluded until such time as a decision has been made by the Final Appeals Authority, who is to apply its mind after the Planning Appeals Advisory Panel (PAAP) meeting, which took place on 21 January 2025. In terms of the City’s Municipal Planning By-law the Appeal Authority has 90 days to make a decision,” said Andrews.
Cape Times