Hundreds of Muslims as well as non-Muslims came together in the Bo Kaap for a mass Iftar. The Iftar is the meal eaten by Muslims after sunset during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The iftar was organised by the Bo Kaap Civic Association. It’s the first the event has been held since 2019 because of the Covid 19 pandemic.

The Bo Kaap is a picturesque and historic neighbourhood on the outskirts of the Cape Town CBD. It was known as the Slave Quarter during colonial times as it was created as a settlement for the Malay slaves from from the East by the Dutch East Indies Company. Most Bo Kaap residents are direct descendants of those slaves.

Faiez Jacobs, a member of parliament for the ruling African National Congress (ANC), said the mass iftar is a cultural icon. He also empathised with the people of Palestine who have been attacked by Israeli forces during Ramadan.

Fatima Allie, a former resident of Bo Kaap, said Ramadan was about community and caring and sharing and showing the world what Islam is about.