Cape Town - Opinion is divided on a street iftar that was intended to unite the Maitland community, but was organised without the necessary permission of the City of Cape Town.
Last month, the Maitland Muslim Congregation (MMC) hosted a mass iftar in front of the mosque in Coronation Road, partially blocking off the road.
For the hour-long boeka, which the neighbours consented to, several measures were believed to be in place, including the presence of Disaster Risk Management.
Nearly two weeks after the joyous occasion, the MMC revealed that the councillor of ward 56, Cheslyn Steenberg, had reported the event.
MMC chairperson Kamille Abass admitted that the necessary permit was not obtained, but said a Disaster Risk Management official assisted with the event.
“Disaster management assisted me with my charity. I asked them to just be my eyes and ears for the function in case of any disaster,” said Abass.
He claimed he had asked for a permit to close the road, but a traffic officer in charge told him he would have to wait for two weeks.
He said they then proceeded with the street iftar, bringing together residents of different denominations.
Steenberg said that he did not disagree with the iftar, but felt compelled to flag the matter with Disaster Risk Management after a resident brought the incident to his attention.
He said the grievance was that the mass iftar did not adhere to any protocol.
“This is not about politics, it is not about religion.
“It is about following the rules in place.
“It was simply about someone complaining that the rules of the City were not adhered to and I had to escalate the complaint,” Steenberg said.
byron.lukas@inl.co.za
Cape Argus