Abdullah Abdurahman

Abdullah Abdurahman (12 December 1872 – 20 February 1940) was a South African politician and doctor. He was the first Coloured, or mixed-race, city councillor of Cape Town.

Abdullah Abdurahman
Abdullah Abdurahman
Born	(1872-12-18)18 December 1872
Died	2 February 1940(1940-02-02) (aged 67)
Alma mater	University of Glasgow
Occupations	Doctor City councillor
Children	Zainunnisa Gool
Awards	Order for Meritorious Service: Class 1 (Gold)

Early life

He was born on 12 December 1872, in Wellington, South Africa (now in the Western Cape). His parents were Muslim Cape Malays, and his grandparents were slaves in the Cape Colony, possibly from India, who had managed to buy their freedom. Cape Malays were considered "Coloured" under the apartheid system of racial segregation.

He went to school in Wellington before going to medical school at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, in 1888; in 1893, he graduated. After his studies, he returned to South Africa and became a doctor in Cape Town.

Local government

He was elected to the Cape Town City Council in 1904. He was the first non-white person in this position. As city councillor he worked to improve the conditions of the Cape Coloured community, especially within the field of education; he helped set up the first secondary schools for Coloured people in Cape Town.

African Political Organisation

Abdurahman joined African Political Organisation (APO) in 1903 and became its president in 1905. The party's goal was to fight increased racial oppression in the country, mainly on behalf of the Coloured people. He led the APO for 35 years.

In 1914 Abdurahman was elected to the Cape Provincial Council. He was the first Coloured person to serve on the council.

Death

Abdullah Abdurahman died on 20 February 1940.

References

• Abdullah Abdurahman, Encyclopædia Britannica for Kids.