Faizel Wagenaar
Faizel Wagenaar (nee Fritz before converting to Islam) lived in Second Avenue, Claremont. One of eleven children (five brothers and five sisters). Though he is no longer a resident of Claremont, his place of business has not moved from its location at Claremont Station in the last decades.
Faizel owns a fruit stall at Claremont Station, and has worked as a hawker for 53 years, since the age of 6 years old. His closest friends are his fellow hawkers, and they have a long history in Claremont & the hawking industry.
Faizel was an avid sportsman, excelling at cricket, rugby & soccer. Of the many difficulties and tragedies that apartheid brought to South Africans, Faizel feels particularly strongly about the limited access for people of colour to compete at sports at a professional level. Though he dreamed of playing sport professionally, he remains happy and hopeful that today’s youth can use the opportunities they’re given to pursue their sporting dreams. Faizel played for Jamestown, as well as many school clubs.