Indonesia plans to build a major cultural centre near the tomb of Sheikh Yusuf Al-Makassari in Macassar, approximately 45 minutes from central Cape Town, marking a significant milestone in strengthening centuries-old ties between the two nations.
Culture Minister Fadli Zon announced the ambitious project during his visit to the historic site on Friday 31 October, while in South Africa attending the G20 culture ministers meeting in KwaDukuza, KwaZulu-Natal.
A bridge between nations
“Sheikh Yusuf Al-Makassari is a bridge of civilisation between Indonesia and South Africa,” Zon declared after meeting with local religious leaders. “The Cultural House will be a symbol of the eternal friendship between the two nations that has existed for hundreds of years.”
The proposed Sheikh Yusuf Indonesian Cultural House will serve as “a centre for arts, cultural activities, and inter-community interaction to instil values of spirituality and tolerance, as well as encourage cultural exchange and historical research,” according to Zon.
Imam Adam Philander and Ebrahim Peters, respectively the imam and secretary of the Nurul Latief Islamic Association, hosted Minister Zon and his delegation during the visit.
Ambitious cultural complex
The facility will feature a library, museum, and cultural centre designed primarily for the Kramat community and Cape Town’s broader Muslim population, while remaining open to all South Africans and international visitors.
Architecturally, the centre will draw inspiration from the Balla Lompoa Museum in Sungguminasa, Gowa Regency, South Sulawesi. The local adaptation will occupy about 2 000 square metres adjacent to the Sheikh Yusuf Kramat, a designated South African heritage site.
Professor Faadiel Essop, trustee of the ShahMohamad Trust which owns the land, has granted permission for construction on the property.
Long-awaited vision
The project’s roots trace back to 2008, when former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono first expressed interest in creating a legacy project honouring one of Indonesia’s national heroes.
Implementation will require extensive collaboration between multiple government levels in both countries, alongside other key stakeholders.
The ‘Father of Islam in SA’
Sheikh Yusuf (Abadin Tadia Tjoessoep) was born in Makassar in 1626, nephew to Sultan Alauddin, Gowa’s first Islamic king. A prominent cleric and resistance leader against Dutch colonialism in Southeast Asia, his influence proved so formidable that colonial authorities first imprisoned him in Batavia, then Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).
On 27 June 1693, aged 67, he was exiled to the Zandvliet farm along the Eerste River at the Cape of Good Hope. The area was subsequently renamed Macassar in honour of his birthplace.
Sheikh Yusuf died on 23 May 1699 at age 73, earning posthumous recognition as the “Father of Islam in South Africa.” Indonesia declared him a national hero on 7 August 1995, while South Africa awarded him the Order of Companions of O.R. Tambo in Gold on 27 September 2005 for his anti-colonial resistance.
- For more information, phone Ebrahim Peters on 082 562 5457.
