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‘Imam always mentioned that his life in Fietas can only be described with beauty as he proudly spoke of the people that this little ‘dorpie’ produced.’
FAGMIEDA DIEDERICKS writes about the rich and meaningful life of her father.
Johannesburg, a city that was mined from the belly of the earth into the largest urban forest, once housed a vibrant and diverse community that went by many names. First known in the early 1900s as Malay Location, then named Pageview, later as Vrededorp, and affectionately known as Fietas.
Overlooking the growing skyline, and in walking distance to the city, this urban enclave would be the place many people passed through and remains fondly remembered to this day. This was the environment in which Ekeraam Diedericks grew up, and where he later became the last Imam to serve the 23rd Street Mosque before the Group Areas Act legislated the forced removal of that community to the outskirts.
While the Masjid still serves a diverse new community today, and where surely new memories are to be made, its history is intertwined with that of the early Muslim community of Johannesburg. And an integral part of that history is Imam Ekeraam.
Imam was born to Sareya and Taypie in 1938 and was raised by his mother after his father’s early demise. His relocation to his uncle Boeta Maantjie in Cape Town at the age of seven was short-lived, and by the end of 1945 he returned to Fietas, a move that would shape the rest of his life.
Through his mother’s example, Imam learned at an early age not to abandon anyone, especially family. Growing up in a close-knit family, Imam and his siblings, Sadeeq and Faatima, were always surrounded by their cousins, amongst whom were the Lawrences, Paulsens, Lachporias and others.
Struggle was the norm for most households and everyone supported one another in one form or the other. Luxuries were for special events like Labarang (Eid), when Imam looked forward to wearing his red or black koefiya.
For Imam, the 10th of Muharram also brought back beautiful memories as this was a chance for everyone to be charitable in any way or form.
At the age of 21, my dad took a trip to Cape Town and at this point met his other siblings, Arashaad, Samsodien (Adienie), Mariam and Gadija.
At an early age Imam Ekeraam would take part in gadat. Here Imam Bienjamien Kamaar and many others would shape his experience with remembering Allah.
In Fietas religion was a great influence. Obedience was the order of the day and no child would disobey their elder. He had a wonderful journey building up his Imaan, and was always encouraged by his beloved mother, Sareya.
Imam always mentioned that his life in Fietas can only be described with beauty as he proudly spoke of the people that this little ‘dorpie’ produced.
In the early 50s Imam Ekeraam started to attend slamseskool at the home of Imam Gasant ‘Amisant’ Sallie in 20th Street. Amisant was really strict. However, he loved my Dad dearly. Understanding Amisant was easy: learn your work, be in the masjid for Maghrib and Esha’i and all will be good.
As the Shaikh Bilaal, Amisant took his students to people’s homes to make gadat or Ratib al-Attas. Growing up without his father, Imam took to Amisant, and his guidance had a huge impact on him, and his love for Islam took a giant leap.
He stated that Allah SWT placed Amisant in his life for a reason and he showed him how beautiful it is to be a Muslim. Most people feared Amisant, but my dad had a great relationship with him and loved him immensely.
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As the years went by Imam Ekeraam met a boy older than him. This fun-loving and enthusiastic gentleman, Gafieling Abrahams, left an indelible mark on Imam Ekeraam’s early life. Gafieling would gather the youth and they would become malboets (messengers) in the community. The malboets’ message had a little Malayoe in it. ‘Maaf ya Nayn, Maaf ya Tuang. Boeta Amien en Sis Fatima laat wiet baie kierie slam’. For Imam, this was the golden age for Fietas as they lived amongst beautiful personalities.
Imam spoke about Labarang being special, but the pwasa (fast) even more so. He recalled the children delivering niceties to friends and families. People would stand outside waiting for the youngsters to confirm that it is boeka time as there were no PA systems in those days.
In slamseskool they would challenge each other on how many times each could complete the Quran. Then there was the reminiscing of Amisant and how powerful his voice was, and how you would make sure you were in the masjid ‘of anders is daar trouble’.
Imam’s tamat happened in September 1952. This was a big event and the youth would showcase what they were taught over the years. The portion Imam had to read was Surah Qiyaamah.
After school he started working. However, he never lasted in any job. At the age of 17 he started teaching slamseskool, and since he was already a malboet, and continued to make gadat with Gafieling, who was then the Shaikh Bilaal, Imam was quite busy.
Imam Gafieling, as he would later be known, was synonymous with the Bosmont community that emerged after Fietas’ forced removals. He really took a liking to young Ekeraam and made him do just about everything. And so he became his gatiep in Fietas and loved every moment of it. Imam Gafieling’s brother, Agmat (Aggie Ketteltjie), was teaching slamseskool as well, and when he became employed in his trade, his students approached Imam Ekeraam to take over their class at the Jajbhay Hall, and this is where the journey of rizq began.
In 1964, Ekeraam and Janap Ismail were married and they remained so until his end, with a big family and many community children having had them as their parents.
In those days, he says, the masiet committee at 23rd Street would gather annually and have a public meeting to elect a new Shaikh Bilaal. My dad attended but was surprised when his name was called.
He stood up to decline as he felt there were more senior community members there like Shaikh Moegamat (Choppie), Ismail Hassen, Abdul Wahap (Huppy) and Oesman Latha. However, the community did not budge. At this point he already had a gadat jamaah made up mainly of his slamseskool students.
Imam also recalled the well-renowned Shaikh Abdurraghiem Sallie, son of Amisant, from whom he learnt a great deal.
One day, Shaikh Abdurraghiem gave my dad a chance to perform Jumuah and this was the beginning of a new era. Not long thereafter, the Imamate post at 23rd Street was offered to him.
My dad taught slamseskool in Riverlea in the afternoon and then would go back home to teach in Fietas.
In 1973 our family took the big step and moved to Eldorado Park. My father, mom Aunty Jaynie, elder siblings Arashaad, Morieda, Roekeya and baby Fagmieda left Fietas for the outskirts of the city, and this place seemed so far from everything.
My father started a house shop and was quite content with life. He still made gadat and taught slamseskool. One day Shaikh Abduragmaan Moerat, Ismail Julius and Asma (Assie) Abdullah approached him to join the Eldorado Park masjid and he became the chairman of the committee.
Imam Ekeraam became close friends with the Halim family. When Boeta Agie Halim and his wife, Auntie Julie, returned from Makkah they invited him to a gadat and it was here that they planned to make gadat every Thursday night with my dad as their leader. He continued to teach madrassah, and while funds were raised to build a masjid, they first put up a madrasah. All the salaah, including taraweeh ,were performed there.
His madrassa journey in Eldos started in a house in Nancefield and then moved to Dickenson Primary. After that he moved to the Blue school and ended at the ‘green masjid’. Two masjids at this point were built and my dad became the Imam of the ‘green masjid’ in Eldorado Park Ext 2. He built beautiful friendships with the likes of Boeta Ismail, who lived right across the masjid, and Boeta Faried Edries, who was his trusted friend.
On 22 April 1987 my dad embarked on his journey of Gajj. He was the Imam of the group, not realising that this would open another chapter in his life. He explained the experience as electrifying, that not only stole his heart, but his soul too.
Upon his return a number of things changed. Imam Julius, along with his friend Faried Edries, had left for Australia. He now became the Imam of the Ext 1 Jumuaah masjid and still continued to teach Madrassa at the ‘green masjid’.
A new wave of Aalims that were more formally trained at institutions were coming to the fore, identified as Moulanas. An ulama body of Eldorado Park was formed and my dad became a member of the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) of Johannesburg. Then, people started to move out of Eldos into areas they formerly could not access, and again the landscape started to change.
Imam Ekeraam became involved with a preschool at the Ext 1 masjid. The preschool was not just for Muslim kids, but my Dad would give them Islamic lessons. This continued for many years and although he was the disciplinarian figure, the small ones loved him to bits.
Through all these years he continued to run a house shop while living in an area that was considered to be the most dangerous of all. Imam Ekeraam and wife were seen as parents to many and were well-respected in the area. Their home was a home for all and in some cases a safe haven.
My dad found yet another passion, Gajj classes. He started teaching at the Ext 1 masjid and was approached by Tikki Boolay and Yusuf Gafoor to join them on their Gajj tours. He would be the matouf for the group. This started to be an annual trip. His Gajj class students became his lifelong friends and their stay in Makkah and Madinah are reminisced till this day. He travelled annually to Arabia for more than 20 years and each year had a different experience.
At the age of 67 my dad retired. However, although he was no longer the Imam at the masjid, his Imamate work continued. From nikahs to doepmaals and kifayats, Imam Ekeraam served until the end.
Imam Ekeraam was diagnosed with brain cancer in early December 2024. He returned to Allah SWT on January 15 at his Eldorado Park home, at the age of 86. He lays buried at the Newclare Cemetery. He is survived by his wife Janie, his children Sareya, Arshad, Morieda, Roekeya, Fagmieda, Shaheeda, Taheera, Abdullaw and Saajida, his grandchildren Moeshfiqa, Aaliyah, Warithdeen, Tasmia, Osama, Marzuq, Shakira, Wafeeq, Laeeqa, Liyaan, Moenisha, Alisha, Wareesha, Amaarah, Khairaan and Ekeraam.
Imam Ekeraam’s janazah was testament to the respect and honour his community had for him. Eldorado Park came to a standstill and his janazah salaah was performed twice to accommodate the community that is now spread across Johannesburg; first at the Jummuah Masjid, near his home, where he served as Imam, and then at the koebers in Newclare.
As his student and relative, Boeta Moestafa Ernest recalls, whenever Imam greeted somebody that was departing for their home in a far place, he would say, ‘If I should just see you one more time, let it be in Jannah’.
May Allah grant Imam the highest stage of Jannah and may his life’s legacy continue in the journeys of all those who he taught. Ameen.
Shakeel Garda collaborated on this article as editor with Fagmieda Diedericks.
- This article was first published in the 21 February 2025 print edition of Muslim Views.
