Kramat of Sheikh Yusaf
Shaykh Yusuf or Abadin Tadia Tjoessoep was born at Macassar in 1626. He was of noble birth, a maternal nephew of King Biset of Goa. Before being exiled to the Cape he studied in Arabia under the tutelage of several pious teachers. When he arrived here, on the Voetboeg, he was royally welcomed by Governor Simon van de Stel. His Indonesian background necessitated that he and his 49 followers be settled well away from Cape Town. He had an allowance of 12rix dollars from the Cape authorities to support of himself and his party. The party was housed on the farm Zandvliet. near the mouth of the Eerste River, in Macassar. This became The first settlement of Muslims in South Africa. It was a vibrant group. The settlement became a sanctuary for fugitive slaves. Here the message of Islam was disseminated to the slave community living in Cape Town When he died on the 23rd of May 1699 he was buried on the hill overlooking Macassar. A shrine was built over his grave. Today it remains a place of pilgrimage.
