Early in his career as a social worker, Achmat combined the roles of social worker and educator…
and was fond of reminding his students: “You cannot be an educator without a social conscience.”
Hence in his first job at Kupungani, (1965-7) the young social worker emerged as a Health Educator.
Achmat hails from a large family of TEN children and although he did not have biological children, he regarded the children of his extended family as his own.
(K Rousseau: Beitun-Nur, Society for the Destitute, 16/9/98)
(National General Secretary: Muslim Youth Movement)
(Grassroots: Board of Trustees – 16/9/98)
(G.S. Hofmeyer, Director: National Monuments Council – 16/9/98)
(Gamieda, 16/9/1998)
(Theresa Daniels: Maryland Literacy Programme, 16/9/1998)
(Prof. Kader Asmal: Minister of Water Affairs & Forestry, 16/9/1998)
As a rule Achmat Davids never refused an invitation to assist a new organisation – he loved the challenge to organize and help put his new family on the road. He knew his way around a meeting and would be guided by democratic principles when others would be blindly rooted in prejudice. Achmat was a conciliator first and foremost, and confrontation was never his cup of tea, although he did over the years have to tackle some thorny issues.
His strength was that he could serve causes and committees without the baggage of ideological prejudice. He founded or co-founded scores of community organizations: from social agencies to educare centers, some of which are listed below:
His organizational skills and leadership style no more clearly portrayed than:
Since the inception of the Voice of the Cape, Achmat’s versatility as organizer and particularly as researcher helped keep the struggling young Radio Station on the air, and later as Station Manager saw it emerged as the top community radio station in South Africa. He showed people that there was nothing wrong in being yourself, warts and all. If, as a communicator, you were honest about yourself, others would respond. Administratively, he had a unique understanding of the needs of policy, community and the IBA.He also cared deeply for the staff during his period of interim station manager and as a result, morale was at an all-time high.
As broadcaster Achmat served as:
Researcher – Programmer – Presenter – Administrator – Station Manager
As Programme Manager Achmat formulated a language policy for the Voice of the Cape and Voice of the Boland/ voice of Paarl which other radio stations began to emulate: Let the people’s language be heard. This helped develop spontaneity in phone-in programmes as well as talk shows.
Open-door policy: Listen to the other side. This was often the cause of much criticism from certain sectors of the community, particularly relating to news broadcasts.
VOC Restructuring: Achmat represented the VOC at the Independent Broadcasting Authority Hearings and presented a case for a radio station for the people of the Boland…and succeeded. He is commonly regarded as the Father of the voice of the Boland!
Community Orientation: He felt that the community had right to know and appreciate its cultural heritage and encouraged his presenters to play the music of the people even if some of the so-called enlightened detractors objected. He personally hosted talk shows on the cultural history of the community.
Liaison with other radio stations: As a respected broadcaster, he was invited to and appeared on other radio/TV stations. He honoured such an invitation on the day of his death
(Cape Argus, 17th Sept. 1998)
(Leslie McKenzie: Fine Music Radio -21/9/98)
Achmat Davids believed that history belongs in the kitchens of the families rather than packaged on the august shelves of libraries.
He wrote FOUR major works:
The mosques of the Bo-Kaap is by far his best known book, and popularised the history of the Cape Muslims.
Academics acclaim his efforts:
(Shamil Jeppie & Robert C.H. Shell)
It can be assumed that hundreds of thousands heard his story the medium of:
Achmat wrote over 40 historical publications on the cultural history of the community of the Cape. In his earlier years his papers had a distinctly social welfare flavour as he explored the problems of the local community. After 1977 he made contact with the Cape archives and he wrote with a passion as he journeyed through the alleys of old Cape Town.
The following are some of his historical publications:
For a non-white in the Apartheid era to lay claim for his people to the founding of Afrikaans – the mother tongue of the oppressors was downright blasphemous. Achmat ended the debate (who developed Afrikaans) with a passion and spiritual fortitude and caused major tremors in certain quarters. He made his claim with copious proof on national television, at international conferences, in South Africa and Europe and he was heard and read by academics and lay persons alike. His dissertation is the community’s magnus opus, its claim to founder of the Afrikaans language.
In the latter part of his life (1992 – 1998) Achmat focused increasingly on the linguistic of culture… to trace the community’s roots in its language… and he succeeded admirably.
In his Master’s dissertation he pays tribute to his friend and Imam, Imam Abdurahmaan Bassier: “…he was virtually daily at hand to solve my major problems…my sincere thanks to him for…nagging me to get on with it…”
He delivered academic papers in linguistics in U.S., Belgium and Indonesia.
Some of his published papers include:
Achmat Davids deregulated the academy.
Rising from the ranks of social worker to social worker to social anthropologist, to educationist, to cultural historian, to linguist … he refused to be contained by the schools, structures or paradigms peculiar to these disciplines…he brought to each an academic effervescence through his numerous publications.
Meaningful contribution rather than personal achievement: this he demonstrated by his endless hours of painstaking research even to detriment of his personal state of health.
He wrote what he believed and his beliefs inspired him to defend his research even against academic giants…and he emerged triumphant.
He refused to be drawn into idle discourse and in every talk, every paper he delivered he had a positive message for humanity – even if, through his honest forthrightness he appeared controversial.
Achmat is regarded as the leading authority on South African Muslim culture and history, and acknowledged both internally and nationally as an expert on the genesis of the Afrikaans language.
He presented papers at International Conferences in the United States, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Malaysia and Indonesia; and has published at least 46 papers both locally and internationally.
Despite his jovial, affable manner, colleagues and his students alike often tasted his hard, uncompromising and thoroughly scholarly academic arguments.
Criticism of a colleague’s or student’s efforts was to Achmat nothing more than an act of chastisement…
"Ek het hom pakgegee.." An inaccurate, unsubstantiated statement was tantamount to an ethical misdemeanor – a lie.
The world acknowledged his academic contribution:
Every single scholar who wishes to say anything about Muslims in South Africa will continue to take Davids as his/her starting point for many years to come. Such is his contribution – a truly worthy sad-qatuj-jaaria!
Early in his career as a social worker, Achmat combined the roles of social worker and educator…
and was fond of reminding his students: “You cannot be an educator without a social conscience.”
Hence in his first job at Kupungani, (1965-7) the young social worker emerged as a Health Educator.
Achmat hails from a large family of TEN children and although he did not have biological children, he regarded the children of his extended family as his own.
(K Rousseau: Beitun-Nur, Society for the Destitute, 16/9/98)
(National General Secretary: Muslim Youth Movement)
(Grassroots: Board of Trustees – 16/9/98)
(G.S. Hofmeyer, Director: National Monuments Council – 16/9/98)
(Gamieda, 16/9/1998)
(Theresa Daniels: Maryland Literacy Programme, 16/9/1998)
(Prof. Kader Asmal: Minister of Water Affairs & Forestry, 16/9/1998)
As a rule Achmat Davids never refused an invitation to assist a new organisation – he loved the challenge to organize and help put his new family on the road. He knew his way around a meeting and would be guided by democratic principles when others would be blindly rooted in prejudice. Achmat was a conciliator first and foremost, and confrontation was never his cup of tea, although he did over the years have to tackle some thorny issues.
His strength was that he could serve causes and committees without the baggage of ideological prejudice. He founded or co-founded scores of community organizations: from social agencies to educare centers, some of which are listed below:
His organizational skills and leadership style no more clearly portrayed than:
Since the inception of the Voice of the Cape, Achmat’s versatility as organizer and particularly as researcher helped keep the struggling young Radio Station on the air, and later as Station Manager saw it emerged as the top community radio station in South Africa. He showed people that there was nothing wrong in being yourself, warts and all. If, as a communicator, you were honest about yourself, others would respond. Administratively, he had a unique understanding of the needs of policy, community and the IBA.He also cared deeply for the staff during his period of interim station manager and as a result, morale was at an all-time high.
As broadcaster Achmat served as:
Researcher – Programmer – Presenter – Administrator – Station Manager
As Programme Manager Achmat formulated a language policy for the Voice of the Cape and Voice of the Boland/ voice of Paarl which other radio stations began to emulate: Let the people’s language be heard. This helped develop spontaneity in phone-in programmes as well as talk shows.
Open-door policy: Listen to the other side. This was often the cause of much criticism from certain sectors of the community, particularly relating to news broadcasts.
VOC Restructuring: Achmat represented the VOC at the Independent Broadcasting Authority Hearings and presented a case for a radio station for the people of the Boland…and succeeded. He is commonly regarded as the Father of the voice of the Boland!
Community Orientation: He felt that the community had right to know and appreciate its cultural heritage and encouraged his presenters to play the music of the people even if some of the so-called enlightened detractors objected. He personally hosted talk shows on the cultural history of the community.
Liaison with other radio stations: As a respected broadcaster, he was invited to and appeared on other radio/TV stations. He honoured such an invitation on the day of his death
(Cape Argus, 17th Sept. 1998)
(Leslie McKenzie: Fine Music Radio -21/9/98)
Achmat Davids believed that history belongs in the kitchens of the families rather than packaged on the august shelves of libraries.
He wrote FOUR major works:
The mosques of the Bo-Kaap is by far his best known book, and popularised the history of the Cape Muslims.
Academics acclaim his efforts:
(Shamil Jeppie & Robert C.H. Shell)
It can be assumed that hundreds of thousands heard his story the medium of:
Achmat wrote over 40 historical publications on the cultural history of the community of the Cape. In his earlier years his papers had a distinctly social welfare flavour as he explored the problems of the local community. After 1977 he made contact with the Cape archives and he wrote with a passion as he journeyed through the alleys of old Cape Town.
The following are some of his historical publications:
For a non-white in the Apartheid era to lay claim for his people to the founding of Afrikaans – the mother tongue of the oppressors was downright blasphemous. Achmat ended the debate (who developed Afrikaans) with a passion and spiritual fortitude and caused major tremors in certain quarters. He made his claim with copious proof on national television, at international conferences, in South Africa and Europe and he was heard and read by academics and lay persons alike. His dissertation is the community’s magnus opus, its claim to founder of the Afrikaans language.
In the latter part of his life (1992 – 1998) Achmat focused increasingly on the linguistic of culture… to trace the community’s roots in its language… and he succeeded admirably.
In his Master’s dissertation he pays tribute to his friend and Imam, Imam Abdurahmaan Bassier: “…he was virtually daily at hand to solve my major problems…my sincere thanks to him for…nagging me to get on with it…”
He delivered academic papers in linguistics in U.S., Belgium and Indonesia.
Some of his published papers include:
Achmat Davids deregulated the academy.
Rising from the ranks of social worker to social worker to social anthropologist, to educationist, to cultural historian, to linguist … he refused to be contained by the schools, structures or paradigms peculiar to these disciplines…he brought to each an academic effervescence through his numerous publications.
Meaningful contribution rather than personal achievement: this he demonstrated by his endless hours of painstaking research even to detriment of his personal state of health.
He wrote what he believed and his beliefs inspired him to defend his research even against academic giants…and he emerged triumphant.
He refused to be drawn into idle discourse and in every talk, every paper he delivered he had a positive message for humanity – even if, through his honest forthrightness he appeared controversial.
Achmat is regarded as the leading authority on South African Muslim culture and history, and acknowledged both internally and nationally as an expert on the genesis of the Afrikaans language.
He presented papers at International Conferences in the United States, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Malaysia and Indonesia; and has published at least 46 papers both locally and internationally.
Despite his jovial, affable manner, colleagues and his students alike often tasted his hard, uncompromising and thoroughly scholarly academic arguments.
Criticism of a colleague’s or student’s efforts was to Achmat nothing more than an act of chastisement…
"Ek het hom pakgegee.." An inaccurate, unsubstantiated statement was tantamount to an ethical misdemeanor – a lie.
The world acknowledged his academic contribution:
Every single scholar who wishes to say anything about Muslims in South Africa will continue to take Davids as his/her starting point for many years to come. Such is his contribution – a truly worthy sad-qatuj-jaaria!
021 424 1864
196 Longmarket Street
Bo-Kaap, Cape Town
8001, South Africa
021 423 7690
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Cape Town, 8001
South Africa
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South Africa
Phone: 021 424 1864
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