Mariam Newman nee Gasnoedien, known to her family as Maam was born on 28 December 1929 in Harvey Road, Claremont and as she recalls the same year Muhammadiyah Primary in Wynberg was built. Mariam’s father was Mogammad Salie Gasnoedien and her mother was Jainap Gasnoedien nee Mustapha. 

Mogammad Salie Gasnoedien was known as Ummi Salie to his family and Bapa to his children. He was the grandson of Emam Gazenodien also known as Carel van de Kaap also know as Carl Pilgrim, the first Cape born pilgrim. Jainap Gasnoedien nee Mustapha was known as Eeya to her family. Jainap’s parents, Abdol Gamiet and Sabrea Mustapha were from Claremont as well. Jainap siblings were Emam Mogammad Amien Mustapha (Harvey Road Mosque), Fatima Mustapha Abdurahman, Muniera Mustapha Fredericks, Amina Mustapha and Galima Mustapha. All Jainap’s siblings and their families resided in the Claremont area. Jainap and Mog Salie Gasnoedien had five children, Mariam Gasnoedien Newman, Fatima Gasnoedien, Ismail Gasnoedien, Emam Mog Noor (known as Norman to his family due to mistake in the registration of his name) Gasnoedien (Hanover Park Mosque) and Abdullah Gasnoedien. This meant that Mariam Gasnoedien had immediate and extended family living around her while residing in Claremont. Mariam’s uncle, Emam Mog Amien was the Emam at the local mosque in Harvey Road and thereafter her cousin, Emam Gasant Abduragman.  

Mariam was born in Harvey Road, her “doop” christening was in this house. Her family moved to a house close to Harfield. She remembers living in the same road as Sis Tiemie Masters. Sis Tiemie Masters was married to Motchie Jamie’s son. She recalls Sis Tiemie’s sister and her husband, Battas Albertus as well. Thereafter her family moved to the cnr of Lancaster and Second Avenue, when her family moved out, the Rajie’s moved into this house. Their final move in Claremont was when her parents bought a house in Matthews Street, just off Third Avenue, No 26-28.

Mariam attended Muhammadiyah Primary until Std 3 in Batts Road Wynberg although her parents lived in Claremont.  She would stay with her aunt in Bega Road from Sunday evening until Friday when her parents would fetch her, they travelled to Wynberg with the train. She left Muhhamadiyah Primary to attend Rosmead Central Primary in Claremont which was closer to her home. She attended Livingstone but left in Standard 6. One of the neighbours children converted to Christainity and her father remove her from Livingstone because he was worried the same would happen to his child. Mariam recalls that there not many Muslims teachers at the time when she was at school, she remembers one Muslim teacher, Mrs Laatoe who always wore her headscarf. Mariam still regrets not being able to continue her schooling, she felt her parents listened to the opinion of those who actually didn’t have the correct information. Mariam still thinks about her fellow school mates who continued their schooling, one of her friends became a domestic science teacher. Mariam continued her education informally be attending various lectures with her father, Mog Salie Gasnoedien. She would continue attending lecturers with her husband, Sedick Newman and her friend Tiemie Jamie. Mariam admired educated persons and believes that you should use the opportunity to learn from them. She struggled because at first she wasn’t as good at English but her husband Sedick was so much better at English. Some lecturers she attended was conducted by Moulana Ansari, Moulana Sedicki, Sheikh Deen and Emam Abdullah Haron. A few of these gentleman attended their wedding.

After Mariam stopped her schooling, she helped a lady named Aysa who lived in the Cur-de flats located at the V junction of Chichester and Emam Haron Road. The buildings were demolished and to this day is still just a gravel patch. Mariam learnt to smock and eventually work on dresses, she had to work before she could go play. When she got home she assisted her mother, Jainap with the housework and preparation of meals. Jainap was an expert at making konfyt.

Mariam started working at the age of 19yrs old at Ensign Clothing SA, they manufactured girls’ gyms, blazers, blouses and shirts. Mariam recalls working on all the machines except the double closer and she had to push her one arm through while working on the machine “Ek het op al die masjiene gewerk beside die double closer. Jy moet jou arm deur steek en so werk daar deur” She worked there for twelve and half years until she was four months pregnant and had to stop working. 

Mariam got engaged to Sedick Newman (born 12 April 1930) in 1959 and got married on 1 January 1961, they were both age 31.  Sedick Newman was born Edward Newman, his family was from Dover Street, the road next to Hanover Street in District six, his family moved to lower Claremont when he was young. Sedick told his daughter that his father was very strict, bedtime was 18:30 and they would rise at 04:00 to feed the animals. Sometimes they had to walk up to Kenilworth to get leaves to feed the animals. Sedick at age 21, converted to Islam. Sedick lived with Mariam’s uncle, Emam Mog Amien Mustapha and that is how she met him, her uncle who she fondly calls “Pangkie” was the matchmaker. Sedick was known to family as “Die Kat”, when he lived with Emam Amien, he would come home late and have to scale the back wall “soos n mannetjie kat”. 

Mariam Gasnoedoen and Sedick Newman were married on the same day as Mariam’s brother Ismail. Mariam’s uncle, Emam Amien (Bonds) Mustapha who was the matchmaker, officiated the marriage in the Harvey Road mosque. Ismail Gasnoedien married Zuliegha Galant. Zuliegha Galant’s brother, Emam Mog Yusuf Galant (Kimberley) later married Mariam’s cousin Joghra Mustapha (Emam Amien’s daughter). Both couples moved into their parent’s home at 26-28 Matthew Road. Mariam’s cousin, Mog Rashaad Mustapha, Emam Amien’s son, completed renovations to the house and as a joke traced a cat in to the cement on the front stoep of their home. Mariam recalls her wedding clearly, her cousin, Mog Rashaad offered to make her a new cutting board as a wedding present. “Boeta Gamat het vir my ge-offer as hy nou kom, gaan hy vir my n grand plank maak wat ek my uiwe en goed kan op sny”. These are her wedding photos. The wedding party was mostly family members

Mariam and Sedick had their only child, Faeeda Majiet (nee Newman) on 25 October 1961 in Matthews Street. Mariam recalls having many family members assisting her with Faeeda when she was little, including Mariam’s cousin, Janie Green.  Mariam later worked for Aisha Omar nee Mohamed also known as Sissie in Colleridge Road, Salt River. Aisha Omar’s brother in law, Allie Omar had a shop on the corner of Second Avenue and Mc Bride lane, their nephew is the current Emam at Claremont Main Road Mosque, Emam Rashid Omar.

Mariam memories of living in Claremont are all positive. “Claremont was lekker om te bly, ek kan niks gese van Claremont nie” She recalls people of colour living in Ingle Road, Mark Road and Fredericks Road, roads that leading to Claremont gardens. She also remembers shops on Claremont Main Road with homes above the shop, her cousin, Limie’s husband Cassiem Gabriels family lived opposite Claremont Main Road Mosque above a shop.  Mariam remembers interesting characters such as Boeta Tafeerin who sold mejang stokkies on his bicycle.  Some of Mariam’s neighbours in Matthew Road and surrounds were the Patels who lived opposite, the Paulse family, the Isaacs (Bryan Isaacs was principal of SP), the Sedicks, the Benjamins, the Collops, the Mattikees, the Hendricks, Fayruz & Adeeb Abrahams, Emam Haron’s sister Mariam and Boeta Kaatjie Isaacs. There was the Pandi’s who now own a fisheried in Athlone, they used to live in 3rd Avenue as well as Toella, Boeta Salie Gak, the Gamieldiens, The Masters, Boeta Mietjie and his brother, Boeta Omar and the Sibotkas next to the park. There were whites living behind us, Paul and Vanessa in 3rd Avenue and whites in Hampstead Road. The whites lived in between us. Mariam said there was very little theft in the area and people lived well together “ Die mense het lekker gewoon daar”

Mariam and her husband attended lecturers with Sheikh Deen in Chaippini Street mosque. They were part of the welcoming when Sheikh Deen returned from his studies. They have come to know him via the DaCostas. She still has her book with the notes she made in the lecturers but some of the writing has faded. Mariam’s friend Sis Tiemie Jamie got her involved in collecting lists for schools and supporting by assisting at bazaars. Mariam does not regret attending; she regrets not going to more lecturers then she would have learnt even more. 

Mariam has good memories of Emam Abdullah Haron. Their mother’s were friends; she says “Emam Haron wasn’t born yet when my mommy visited Emam Harouns’ mommy”. Emam Haron advised Mariam’s parents when they bought the houses in Matthews Road and when her parents went to hajj.  Mariam’s husband, Sedick Newman was a good friend of Emam Haron and Emam Ebrahim Davids (Sep), both of Stegman Road Mosque in Claremont. Mariam and her husband Sedick were interviewed, when the documentary was made of the life of Emam Haron. Mariam’s daughter, Faeeda remembers being at Emam Haron’s funeral at the age of 8yrs old. She was upstairs with her mother and Emam Haron’s wife Aunty Galima and she stood on the balcony looking at City Park. Mariam attended the 90th birthday of Galima Haron before she passed.

Mariam’s daughter remembers her dad’s other friend, Emam Ebrahim Davids (Sep) fondly. She recalls walking in Claremont Main Road when she was young and her scarf would fall into her neck and he would walk pass and pull her scarf back onto her head without saying a word. He is one of the reasons she looks after her health, the last time she saw him before he died, he could hardly breathe and he told her “God gave me this beautiful body and me, me! Thinking I’m kwaai abused my body and who has to suffer? Me!”

Mariam recalls that there were changes before the Group Act was enforced. It started with people of colour no longer being allowed to have shops along Claremont Main Road. The women of colour had limited opportunity of employment and many ended up “in service” house maids for white people. Everything the government did was only for the benefit of whites and people of colour where kept behind. But she feels that God wanted people to learn nothing could stop them, nothing could stop them. An example for Mariam is her own GP, Dr Solomons. “As Allah wil he daai mense moet leer, dan gaan hulle leer”. Mariam was not passive, she participated in numerous marches and would sometimes take her daughter with her. At time she said she went alone to the protest to assist in increasing the numbers but she would meet friends and make friends while marching. Mariam’s daughter, Faeeda recalls her mom and grandfather visiting the families of activists who were in prison.

Mariam recalls that well known Claremont activist Allie Fataar had to go into exile and when he eventually was able to returned he looked up her cousin, Asma Hendricks (nee Mustapha) to catch up on the old residents of Claremont. There was a group of activists in Claremont which Mariam remembers who were highly educated, they included Mr Dudley, Kenny Jordan and Allie Fataar. 

The apartheid government enforced the Group Areas Act. The government did it in Claremont and in other areas as well. When they were forceably removed, Mariam and her small family lived with an old Claremont friend for a while, Man De Costa in Belmore Avenue, Penlyn. Mariam went to Hajj and when she returned her new house in Second Avenue Lotus River was complete. Mariam’s parents moved from Claremont to Hanover Park, they joined Mariam in her new house in Lotus River. Mariam’s parents lived with her until they both passed away. Mariam was very social and would visit family using public transport. Mariam still lives in this house with her daughter, Faeeda Majiet and her family after almost 50yrs. Mariam still does some exercise, “Ek exercise in die kooi, because there is people who can’t walk”. Sadly Sedick Newman passed away in 12 September 2021 a few months before their 60th wedding anniversary in 2021.