VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Photo credit: detik/KJRI Cape Town

The Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) in Cape Town, South Africa strengthened social and cultural cooperation with South Africa by holding a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) at the Castle of Good Hope, on Thursday (00/5). The FGD was attended by a number of public figures, such as members of the South African parliament, judges, artists and film industry players, lawyers, general managers and journalists of Voice of the Cape, academicians, religious leaders and entrepreneurs. The FGD was also attended by a delegation from the  People's Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia  which was visiting Cape Town to meet partners there and review the implementation of the South African elections. According to a press release from the Indonesian Consulate General in Cape Town received in Jakarta on Saturday (1/6), Tudiono highlighted the historical and cultural closeness between Indonesia and South Africa.

Meanwhile, the owner and curator of the Cape Heritage Museum, Ighsaan Higgins, highlighted the ancestors of South Africans; many of whom came from Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia. In 1694, the great warrior and scholar of the archipelago from Gowa, Sheikh Yusuf Al Makassari was exiled to Cape Town and introduced Islam in South Africa. For his services, he was awarded the Order of the Companions of OR Tambo in Gold by South African President, Oliver Reginald Thambo in 2005. In 1780, Tuan Guru of Tidore was imprisoned on Robben Island, which was also Nelson Mandela's prison. After his release, Tuan Guru of Tidore founded the first madrasa which was later built into a mosque and named Masjid Auwal, the first mosque in South Africa. This mosque is located in the Bo Kaap area and still stands strong, and it is used for worship today. These two names are part of the Indonesian people who came to South Africa, and became the forerunner of the formation of the Cape Malay community, whose population has now exceeded 300 thousand people.

Moreover,  Voice of the Cape senior presenter, Owner and Curator of the Cape Heritage Museum Ighsaan Higgins highlighted that many South Africans' ancestors came from Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia. He has seen the importance of developing cooperation between the two countries in the fields of art, culture, music and film. On that occasion, Tudiono also said that the Consulate General in Cape Town will organize the Indonesian Folk Market (IFM) on November 9 and the Indonesian Film Festival on November 10 and 11. The IFM was first held in Cape Town in 2023 and featured Indonesian art, culture, culinary, and products. At the request of the Mossel Bay Municipality (400 km from Cape Town), a second Indonesian Folk Market was held in Mossel Bay, which was also part of the 30th anniversary of Indonesia-South Africa diplomatic relations. The third IFM will feature a Betawi art team that will collaborate with the EOAN Group dance group led by alumni of the Indonesian Arts and Culture Scholarship.