Yusuf Karriem

Yusuf Karriem is the eldest son of Ragmat & Mustapha Karriem. Born on 2nd September 1959, he lived with his parents on Second Avenue; Harfield; along with his sister, Safia, and brothers Abdullah, Salie & Abubakar. 

Life on Second Avenue was one filled with friends, family & abundant community activity. Yusuf fondly recalls the Shabu Rama bioscope (Shaboodien’s Shop in the double-story house) across from their home, where they watched Spaghetti Westerns and some of the old movie greats. On Saturday mornings he and his friends would sometimes stand on the Corner of Cambridge & Second Avenue outside the home of of a man they nicknamed Peter the Great, who created the Atchaas team. These friends include Sulaiman Alexander, Gregory, and Jeffery Beukes, and the games they played included making drums from old car tyres or imitating the American Atchaas who performed during the festive period each year.

Yusuf was also avidly interested in sport, regularly accompanying his father to watch soccer at Rosmead Sports ground where the famous teams of the time included Clairwoods, Stephians, Arials and St Lukes; and famous players were Tabba, Cecil Paris, Trevor Moody from Clairwoods.

Part of the charm of the neighbourhood was being surrounded on all sides by his family members who lived in the same apartment block. His uncle, Ebrahim (Boeta Braym and Aunt Janap) with his cousins, Mariam, Amien, Gakkie, Kader, Giempie, Mustapha and Amina; lived above Yusuf’s family, while other neighbours included Aunty Hettie & Uncle Peter next door. Taypie Hendricks (long-standing Claremont Hawker & co-founder of Claremont Reunited Alliance) also had his home in the same block.

Yusuf attended Rosmead Primary School, which at the time had become so populated that new classes had to be created to accommodate all the incoming pupils. He hopes to be able to share some of the memories of the lost community with those with whom he shared his childhood & his most treasured experiences.

Yusuf clearly remembers his first Khalifa (Islamic tutor) Mogamad Zain Gabriels ( eldest brother of now famous Sh. Ebrahim and Abubakr Gabriels), as well as the Imam at  that time, Hafith al-Qur’an Imam Gasan Abdurahman.

When the Karriem family were forcibly removed, they were placed in Manenberg, where Yusuf attended primary school at Rio Grande Primary. Yusuf continued to visit Shaboodien’s shop on weekends because of his role as projector operator. 

Yusuf now lives in Mitchell’s Plain with his three children, two of whom are married.  He is a professional videographer and specialises in weddings, engagements, documentaries, portfolios, and more, under the production company “Sunrise Film Productions”. You can find some of his work on Facebook under Sunrise Film Productions.