Last Friday residents of Bo-Kaap gathered in Wale and Rose streets for a mass boeka, the first of it’s kind since 2019.
“Despite the weather, people turned up and it was a successful event,” said Shafwaan Laubscher, a member of the Bo-Kaap Collective. I
“t’s about getting together, bringing your food and sharing it with neighbours and friends, and because of the spirit of Ramadaan you don’t have to ask people to support this boeka.
“There is lots of planning that go into this,” he added.
“We have to think of the traffic, the businesses that are affected and other logistical matters. The City of Cape Town assisted us so it makes the event easier.”
The next mass boeka will be held on Friday April 29, and the Bo-Kaap Collective is expecting 300 or more people, depending on the weather.
“We have it on Friday’s as we have jumu-ah (prayer day) on that day, so that’s the religious and spiritual aspect of this boeka. Plans are being made for the next boeka and we understand that people are sceptical because of Covid but we are hoping that more attend,” Mr Laubscher said.
“The last boeka coincides with Al-Quds day and so this is also being done in solidarity with the people of Palestine so, depending on the weather, this will be a bigger event.”