Image: Supplied

Faizel Patel – 20/04/2021

(Twitter: @FaizelPatel143)

As the city of Johannesburg and Cape Town takes stock of the damages caused by the devastating fires, a number of communities and organisations including Muslims have contributed to the emergency and relief efforts.

In Johannesburg, a blaze broke out in a storage room at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital just before midday on Friday and flared up again later that evening.

While no one was injured, more than 700 patients had to be moved to other provincial hospitals

In Cape Town, the first fire broke out on Sunday morning and by the afternoon, residents, including students at the University of Cape Town, had to be evacuated.

The blaze has turned hundreds of hectares of forest and veld into ash.

Speaking during Radio Islam’s 3-Talk programme, Islamic scholar Hafez Shaakir Bhayat says among the many people that provided relief efforts, Muslims were also at the forefront to assist those affected by the blaze in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Hafez Bhayat says it is overwhelming to see how Muslims have opened their hearts during the blessed month of Ramadan to assist those affected by the debilitating fires.

“Last week  we had the fire at Joburg Gen and all the patients had to be evacuated. But right at the forefront of relief and assistance was a number of Muslim organisations. If you had to watch mainstream media, if you had to see the video’s from Joburg Gen, you would be able to spot scarves and toppies all over, everybody involved in the relief.”

Hafez Bhayat says Muslims also contributed much needed aid to the City of Cape Town to assist with relief efforts during the Table Mountain fire.

“If you look at the relief efforts, who’s bringing aid to the firefighters and all, the true spirit of Islam and the spirit of Ramadan has surfaced in such a beautiful way that you see the Muslims at the forefront there s well.”

Some of the many Muslim organisations that have assisted in relief efforts include Gift of the Givers, Saaberie Chishty Society, Africa Muslims Agency and Ashraful Aid among many others.