Footprints

In a time defined by colonialism and the struggle for the lucrative spice trade between the Far East and Europe, leaders who resisted imperial control found themselves exiled to distant corners of empire. With little more than their faith and the clothes they wore, these individuals and their families arrived at the Cape of Storms. Against staggering odds, they succeeded in laying the foundations for the first free communities.

This gripping narrative recounts their trials, tribulations, and enduring collective will to forge a new way of life. They not only navigated harsh landscapes and geopolitical challenges but also left an indelible legacy for future generations. This is their story – a vivid testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of overwhelming adversity.

Mogammad Amien Baderoen is a registered professional quantity surveyor in Private Practice, was born in the Cape of Storms on the southern tip of Africa. He researched his family tree and discovered in the Cape Archives that the family roots recorded there stretched back to as far as the year c. 1818 and beyond. This verified the oral traditions transmitted from generation to generation. The history of the family was interlaced with the history of the Cape Colony through a time of colonialism, slavery and emancipation, wars between the Empire builders and the ongoing struggles of the family to establish the first free community and leave clear footprints for those who follow.