- Wynberg East is a community rich in religious and educational heritage, home to several historic churches and mosques.
- Local heritage activist Mogamat Kameldien highlights the significance of these faith landmarks, many of which are over a century old.
- Efforts are underway to document and preserve the foundational history of these places of worship for future generations.
The Wynberg East community doesn’t only have a rich educational heritage but is also a central hub for public congregational worship of diverse faith.
This is the description by a Group Areas Board report, seen by the local community heritage activist, Mogamat Kameldien. The three main Wynberg East roads: Upper Ottery , Park and Castletown have several landmark churches.
In Ottery Road, the Ottery Road Methodist Church (established 1902 but could be earlier in the 1870s), the Emanuel Anglican Church (established in 1926), the Assembly Hall (officially known as Christian Brethren Gospel Hall) in Upper Ottery Road, and the Yusuffeyah Wynberg Station Mosque (est. 1867) in Mosque Lane at the top of Upper Ottery Road, near the Wynberg public transport inter-exchange for taxis, buses and trains.
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In Park Road, the Darul Qaraar Mosque (1924), in Castletown Road, the Na-im Mosque (1944), the Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church (est. 1937) at 39 Castletown Road, and the Battswood Baptist Church in Castletown Road.
“My main concern is that the less than popular mainstream churches in Wynberg remain relatively only known to their own congregants, who frequent these places of worship every week, but immediate residents neighbouring these adjacent churches are largely isolated from the hustle and bustle of these lively congregations.
Out of sight
However, there are several off the main thoroughfare churches largely out of sight, less visible to motorists using Upper Ottery Road, Park Road and Castletown Road as arterial thoroughfares,” Kameldien says.
In Rosmead Avenue, Rosmead Avenue Gospel Church Hall (foundational year unknown) is situated opposite the William Herbert Sports Ground.
“These other landmark churches, with over a century of public worship in many cases, are mainly known solely to their own denominational congregations such as Wynberg Congregational Church (1903), Wynberg Seventh Day Adventist Church (foundation year unknown) in Hertford Road, Wynberg New Apostolic Church in Ross Street (foundational year unknown), Bethel Assemblies of God Hall in Abbey Road (foundational year unknown), the Wynberg Moravian Church in Hastings Road (foundational year unknown) and Assembly of God Hall (foundational year unknown).
he says.
The sound heritage landscape of Wynberg is unique, apart from the daily commuting of the learner population as student pedestrians to and from the local schools by train, bus and taxis, the school sirens as well as the chatter of learners on the playgrounds, the five daily calls to congregational prayers at the three mosques, the church bells ringing on a Saturday morning in the case of the Wynberg Seven Day Adventist Church in Hertford Street/Mortlake Rod, and the rest on Sundays, chiming from church bells towers such as the Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church in Castletown near Wittebome railway station and the Wynberg Congregational Church in Clarence Road.
“Dr Helen Robinson, the historian and published author in her book Wynberg a Special Place, says that the social distance with the rest of Wynberg led “to a growing sense of independence” in lower Wynberg, (which was) “created by the establishment of schools, sports clubs, places of worship..snip..”
For many ex-residents of East Wynberg upon returning home on visits find this very audio heritage landscape of the five times call to prayers by the Bilal (in colloquail Cape Muslim Afrikaans) or the Mu-Atheen (in standard, modern Arabic) or the ringing of church bells as an instant welcome to familiar home grounds.
“Another welcoming sound with approaching Easter Weekend is the musical instruments by the Methodists Ladies in Red with their red blouses and white collars or white bibs on Palm Sunday, street procession by the Women Manyano Movement who belongs to the Methodists Women Prayers and Service Union.
At the Wynberg East Church Associations 2022 Wynberg Rewind Heritage Day programme, the late Thelma Thebus gave an overview of the 200 years history of the Methodist Church in Wynberg, and more especially the founding growth of the Ottery Road Methodists Church congregation.
He also mentions that apart from the fact that many may have celebrated their centennial celebrations or may still be approaching their centennial commemorations, these churches with unknown foundational dates for their establishment, are potential tangible heritage significant sites by default, at some future proclamation date by the various heritage authorities based on their grading – being more than 60 years in existence. “If the community can help with the missing foundational dates, they can share it with me or Exco members Muneerah Karriem of the local Wynberg East Civic Association as a registered urban conservation body with Heritage Western Cape, the provincial heritage body,” he says.
Call Kameldien on 082 827 6180.
