Abdullah Abdurahman

Abdullah Abdurahman ( born December 18, 1872 in Wellington, South Africa, † February 20, 1940 in Cape Town) was a major leader of the South African Coloureds. His contribution to the history of South Africa is controversial - while his most liberal supporters consider him one of the greatest Coloureds leaders in the history of the country, he is known for his radical opponents little more than an opportunist and fair-weather politician.

In 1888 he went to Scotland. There he earned a master's degree in medicine from the University of Glasgow at Glasgow University in 1893. In 1895 he returned to South Africa, where in 1904 he entered public life by being elected the first Coloured Member of the Cape Town City Council. Although initially attacked violently because of his skin color, he managed to win the respect of most members of the committee - he retained his seat until his death in 1940 1923 he became chairman of the influential Committee on roads and drainage.. Since 1914 he also had a seat in the Provincial Assembly of the Cape Province.

In 1902, he joined the African People 's Organization, whose president he became in 1905. Under his leadership, the organization grew considerably. Since 1910, she was by far the largest organization of South African Coloureds, a position she held until 1940.