On Tuesday at 5.15pm, Fatima Sydow exhaled her final breath surrounded by immediate family.
The beloved 50-year-old chef passed away peacefully at Vincent Pallotti Hospital in Cape Town, after bravely battling soft tissue sarcoma since 2020.
The culinary artist and cherished celebrity has most certainly left her mark on this world. Her family expressed their deepest gratitude for the out-pouring of love and support during this challenging time.
She was laid to rest yesterday and it was a huge janaazah.
On Tuesday night, bereaved family members and very close friends gathered at her home to show their respect for the icon, while hartseer neighbours stood outside speaking of her beautiful heart.
Those who sat in the room while she lay peacefully wrapped in a white cloth, recited and made thikr, in keeping with the traditional Cape Malay rites.
More than 700 litres of food were cooked to make sure that every neighbour received their barakat.
On Wednesday morning, Lyndon Street in Pinati Estate, Athlone was filled with mourners from far and wide who came to pay their final respects. Everyone I knew was there to bid farewell to the queen of Kaapse kos. It was indeed the send-off she deserved.
The men gathered at Taronga Road mosque to perform salaah tul janaaza and then followed the body to Mowbray cemetery where she now lays peacefully.
Fatima Sydow was born on 12 November 1973 on the Cape Flats, along with her twin sister Gadija.
Her culinary odyssey started at the age of nine, under the guidance of her mom, when she would peel potatoes and chop the onions.
She was always amazed at how her mom could turn the little they had into a big pot of food that would feed all of them and even those who came knocking at the door looking for alms.
Fatima rose to prominence thanks to the power of social media in 2011, lovingly sharing the recipes of old-school Cape Malay kos with the new moms of this generation.
She was unapologetic about where she came from, and in fact embraced her humble beginnings, which endeared her to many.
Despite her fame, she remained rooted in her heritage. She went beyond the kitchen, everything she did was heartfelt and she made sure her connection was felt through the universal language of food.
In 2015, Sydow released her self-published book, The Journey of Cape Malay Cooking with Fatima Sydow.
The easy-to-follow recipes resonated with young and old, with busy moms and those who just discovered the joy of cooking, while gathering a new following of Cape Malay cuisine.
Soon, a ViaTV show followed for her and twin Gadija, called Kaap, Kerrie & Koesisters.
Originally set to film only one season, the success of the show turned into a six-season run, sadly ending in 2021 due to Fatima’s illness.
While all of this was happening she and Gadija released another book in 2019 called Cape, Curry and Koesisters. When their TV show came to an end, Fatima bravely broke the news to the world that she was battling cancer.
Despite this, she was determined to release yet another book, Fatima Sydow Cooks, in order to bring joy to people during the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic.
During this time she kept sharing her recipes and videos of her cooking on Facebook, but then she created a YouTube channel, where fans could watch and listen to her infectious giggle in her own kitchen, her comfort zone.
This was yet another way she shared her expertise and her love for the foods we never want to let go of. This channel grew in leaps and bounds and brought happiness to viewers – not only in the Cape, but around the world.
And let’s not forget that she also released her own successful brand of spices and Cape Malay savouries range. She was committed to shine a bright light on our heritage.
Earlier this year, the now famous cook released her final masterpiece, Fatima Sydow Cape Malay Cooking: My Story, My Heritage.
She wished to leave behind a legacy of love, unity and connection through the communal experience of food, and she did just that.
Fatima Sydow will forever be remembered as an icon, a sister of the arts and a true heroine.
Verily from Allah do we come and unto Him is our return.
dailyvoice@inl.co.za