Cecil Plaatjies Cape Town activities, Excursions

Country Roads: a Reconciliation Day interfaith meander

On Reconciliation Day, December 16th, we have traditionally in Cape Town have organised an Interfaith Walk in District 6. But over these 3 years this became beset with various problems, not least the changing behaviors post-covid and the current divisive world climate.

So yesterday, myself, Cecil Plaatjies, Nic Paton, Aidon Allies, Marie-Therese Nga set out for Mamre to visit the Seutloali family. We took a different route from usual and meandered through upmarket suburbs, vast tracts of farmland, past farm workers’ homes, growing townships and forgotten areas with meaningful names like, Atlantis.

A journey that points to so much that should still be reconciled in this country. Along the winding roads north of Cape Town, we reflected on spatial division, and how many have been flung to outlying areas, with not much access to amenities and opportunity.

It was my second visit after the devastating fire which destroyed the Seutloali homestead. (See “Rising from the Ashes”). We were met with broad smiles and warm hearts. It was a lesson in resilience, hope and victory of the spirit. The Seutloali’s are rebuilding their home and planted crops again.

The homestead

We spent the afternoon in conversation and encouraging each other, and also got to meet another family from the community who came over to visit.

How we spent Reconciliation Day

Interfaith is often viewed as a public event consisting of many different religions on the same platform. Person-to-person dialogue does not make good copy. It is invisible, not easy to quantify and label, but it is a model of real peace work and reconciliation. Something that should become part of our daily interactions with each other.

Without planning or ceremony, we found ourselves having been meaningfully involved in an act of Reconciliation.

Pippa Jones CTII Schools Programme, Environment, Indigenous Events

African Traditional Spirituality – Schools Program

2025 is the second year that African Traditional Spirituality has been part of the Grade 10 CTII Schools curriculum. A deep dive into Interfaith, especially within the African context, must include an exploration of the traditions, practices and rituals that have existed for millennia. To that end, CTII is honoured to have the support and input of Dr Christie (Gogo Bazimile) van Zyl who works as the University of Cape Town’s first indigenous healthcare advisor within the Student Welfare Services.

Bronwen Foster

First, we made the most of our beautiful surroundings. We had decided to hold the session in the Rondevlei Nature Reserve (25 Aug 2025) to provide our learners with the opportunity to feel closer to our natural environment. We were generously welcomed by Bronwen Foster, Conservation Officer for The City of Cape Town, who spoke about the importance of nature reserves and protecting the environment for the good of all.

The evidence of how we humans and all other species often co-habit unsustainably was clear: the encroachment of urbanisation, development, and waste upon the wildlife and indigenous plants of the vlei was obvious to all. We were reminded that ubuntu is in fact our relationship with everything, and our inter-dependent connection with Mother Nature.

Dr Christie then expertly and lovingly led the learners on a journey of discovery. She held space with great warmth, knowledge and understanding. Her presentation grappled with our complex history, unpacking what African Traditional Spirituality is and the effect that colonialism has had, while also interweaving her own personal stories of struggle and re-learning. A dynamic Q&A session then ensued. We were impressed by how engaged all the learners were – it sparked rich conversation that continued long after the session had ended. Clearly a deep chord had been struck.

One of our guests to the afternoon was Veliswa Ntsume, a mature student in Christian theology, who remarked:

”These sessions are of great significance to our young, to sharpen their sense of belonging, to iron out any identity-related confusions, and to invite their curiosity and hunger to learn more about themselves, their ancestry and traditions”.

Veliswa Ntsume
Teachers and supporters: Veli Ntsume, Dr. Christie van Zyl, James Guebert, Whitney Hedlund, Nora Grīnberga

Melanie Slavin, one of the staff from Herzlia, who has been with the Programme since its foundation in 2011, was particularly moved and inspired by the experience.

“I often think of the intergenerational trauma that exists in South Africa and we carry a burden because of it…I have never really confronted the profound impact of the denial and loss of indigenous spiritual systems on people- the severing of connection to spiritual ecosystems  that imposed  individualism and dispossession on a very deep cellular level.”

Melanie Slavin, Hertzlia

 Ann Paton, member of CTII, volunteer on the Youth Programme, and trauma counselling specialist was struck by the questions which the session raised: how do we reclaim that which was discarded and disinherited? A disinheritance which is both subtle and unsubtle. How does one come back to a full identity and allow an ancient knowing? As Ann remarked,

“Today we are all a mix of so many traditions; we are, in essence, interfaith.”

Ann Paton

We were treated to an opportunity to really see, hear and know one another as Africans. The session with Dr Christie gave African Traditional Spirituality its proper place and belonging. So much of our national and global healing, and what is necessary for humanity, rests on the resurgence and preservation of this ancient knowledge. The respect and awareness generated that day was a gift for us all to carry forward in our journeys, both individually and collectively. It’s a hard journey and a brave journey, but a necessary one. 

Pippa Jones Cape Town activities, Walks and Hikes

Spiritual Friendship is The Path: The Spring Walk

On Saturday 15 November, CTII held the second of its bi-annual hikes in Newlands Forest, led and organised by Nic Paton. Typically, each walk has a theme upon which the participants can reflect, together as well as individually.

This Spring, the themes were “Resistance and Renewal“, and seven ‘stations’ along the path offered our community of walkers the opportunity to take a sacred pause and share with one another prayer, poetry, meditation, ritual, and teachings. Our group was wonderfully diverse in age, faith, tradition, language and background.

Babalwa, Whitney, MJ, Marie Therese and Veli ready for action.

“This entire spiritual life is good friendship, good companionship, good comradeship. When a monk has a good friend, a good companion, a good comrade, it is to be expected that they will develop and cultivate the noble eightfold path.”

Buddha’s teaching to Ananda, his faithful attendant

In essence, our togetherness is what sustains us and guides on our way. This is certainly what we experienced, there on the side of Hoerikwaggo, Table Mountain. 

Cecil welcomes us to Land

On the ascent, we began by considering “Resistance”, with Cecil leading us in a ‘Welcome to Land’, an honouring of our connection to all that is, to our history, to the First Peoples of the Khoi and San, and to all those that have walked before us.

Aidon, a graduate of the CTII Youth Programme and resident of Bonteheuwel, urged us to resist the pervasive violence that grips our communities.

Aidon tells it like it is

Steve shared a refection on Isa inspired by the Qur’an, and Whitney enlightened us with the concept of a ‘pluriverse’, the many making up the one.

Isa meets the pluriverse: diversity in action

James, of Faith Hope Love Communities in Elsie’s River, offered us an insight from his Christian response to compassion for all, after which we made the final ascent in sacred silence.

Then, pausing in a gulley with the mountain spring bubbling around us, Nic offered a meditation with music from his flute. 

The Gulley Reflection

On the descent, Raksha from the Brahma Kumaris led us in a meditation of “Renewal”, and Emma shared a poem, inspiring us to ‘Try Softer’.

Raksha and Emma

Then, before completing our walk, Pippa closed the circle with a ritual of contemplation, each of us considering the power and potential of a seed and how we might “be the renewal” we want to see.

Closing Circle

With the beauty and peace of our surrounds, sheltering us from the wind and bathing us in the gentle heat of Spring, we were reminded once again of Nature’s nurturing, and the sustenance to be found in togetherness. This is, as the Buddha said, the essence of our journey, and WE, as community, are the Path for each other.

photos by MJ Mzamo Jilana, Whitney Hedlund, Zahra Jobe and Nic Paton

Nic Paton Cape Town activities

A Good Shabbos at the Mosque

“Good Shabbos” is the traditional English greeting amongst Jews welcoming the Sabbath. On Friday 7th November this goodness was on full public display as Claremont Main Road Mosque in Cape Town hosted the Jewish community for their evening ritual in an exceptional interfaith event. A reported 250 or more people of many faith backgrounds attended and the place was packed.

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