THE DOCTOR OF DISTRICT SIX: Exploring the Private and Family History of Dr. Abdullah Abdurahman, City Councillor for District Six of Cape Town (1904-1940) EVE WONG WNGEVE001 A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the Master of Arts in Historical Studies by Research. Department of Historical Studies Faculty of the Humanities University of Cape Town 2016 This work has not been previously submitted in whole, or in part, for the award of any degree. It is my own work. Each significant contribution to, and quotation in, this dissertation from the work, or works, of other people has been attributed, and has been cited and referenced. _________________________________________University of Cape Town _________ EVE WONG 02 DEC 2016 _________________________________________ _________ DATE !1 The copyright of this thesis vests in the author. No quotation from it or information derived from it is to be published without full acknowledgement of the source. The thesis is to be used for private study or non- commercial research purposes only. Published by the University of Cape Town (UCT) in terms of the non-exclusive license granted to UCT by the author. University of Cape Town WITH GRATITUDE ⤜ Acknowledgements ⤛ I am grateful to my supervisors Professors Vivian This thesis project has, in part, been funded by the Bickford-Smith and Mohamed Adhikari for their United States National Security Education gentle guidance and challenging me to produce the Program’s Boren Fellowship. This project would best thesis possible throughout this process. I must not have been possible without them. Additional also express my gratitude to Charles Lindholm, support was generously provided by the Graduate Adam Kuper, and Kimberly Arkin, who have School of Arts and Sciences at Boston University. rallied behind me through an even longer process that has led me to this project. My gratitude goes out to MPG and DK for their friendship; to GJR for his stalwart support and In addition, I am also indebted to the faith; to TVW for reading drafts and being my encouragement and warmth I have received from biggest cheerleader. all the faculty and staff in the Department of Historical Studies at the University of Cape Town, Last but never least, nothing is ever possible especially from Colleen Petersen and our Head of without the love and hearty ’s of my mother Department, Lance van Sittert. 加油 and father, my sister and my brother-in-law. I must also note the Special Collections/ Manuscripts and Archives at the University of This thesis is for my 好婆 and 爷爷. Cape Town's Jagger library and Clive Kirkwood for all his kind attention and assistance. Special acknowledgement must be made for Charles Harrowell, the Special Collections administrator at the University of London’s Senate House Libraries for assistance with their holdings of Abdurahman Papers and the descendants and relatives of Abdullah who corresponded with me. !2 ⤜ Table of Contents ⤛ Prelude HIS GRANDFATHER’S ‘TISANNE’ 1 PART I Chapter One A MUSLIM BOY IN SUNDAY SCHOOL 14 The Early Education & Childhood of Abdullah Chapter Two BECOMING ‘THE DOCTOR OF DISTRICT SIX’ 34 Coming of Age & Homecoming PART II Chapter Three THE DR. AND THE FIRST MRS. ABDURAHMAN 56 Of Mothers, Women and Suffrage Chapter Four GROWING UP AS THE DOCTOR’S DAUGHTERS 79 Raising Daughters of Sound “moral character” PART III Chapter Five BEING ABDULLAH ABDURAHMAN 101 Identities in Contest: Between India, Malay, and Islam Coda ‘MY WORK IS TO EDUCATE THE PEOPLE' 123 References BIBLIOGRAPHY 128 APPENDICES 150 !3 ⤜ List of Figures ⤛ FIG. 1: HANAFI MOSQUE ON LONG STREET, EST. 1881/TODAY 17 FIG. 2: SOUTH AFRICAN COLLEGE SCHOOL PHOTO, 1886 31 FIG. 3: YOUNG ABDULLAH (UNDATED) 34 FIG. 4: KHADIJAH & ABDUL 'HADJI' ABDURAHMAN C. 1896/7 40 FIG. 5: EARLY PHOTOGRAPH OF ABDULLAH & NELLIE C. 1894 44 FIG. 6: ABU BAKR EFFENDI’S OTTOMAN THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL 47 FIG. 7: ALBERT LODGE, 7 MOUNT STREET C. 1900'S 58 FIG 8: ABDULLAH, POSSIBLY A PRESS PORTRAIT, UNDATED. 60 FIG. 9: ABDULLAH’S DAUGHTER BEGUM WITH ONE OF HIS CATCHES (C. 1930'S) 63 FIG. 10: FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO NELLIE, 25 OCTOBER 1907 67 FIG. 11: NINTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE APO IN JOHANNESBURG (1912) 73 FIG. 12: WORKERS AT THE WOMEN’S GUILD BAZAAR 84 FIG. 13: R. W. WOODING WITH SOME PUPILS (C. 1913) 86 FIG. 14: CISSIE (L) AND ROSIE (R) IN THE APO, 1913 88 FIG. 15: CISSIE AND B. G.’S WEDDING PHOTO 93 FIG. 16: 1933 ENQUIRY INTO DOLLIE’S SUPPORT OF ABDULLAH FROM CISSIE 96 FIG. 17: PORTRAIT FROM ‘PROVINCIAL COUNCILLORS’ POSTER. (1924/5) 98 FIG. 18: DR. ABDURAHMAN, WITH MEMBERS OF THE INDIAN DEPUTATION 105 FIG. 19: NEWSPAPER CARTOON OF ABDULLAH 107 FIG. 20: RED-FEZZED PALLBEARERS AT ABDULLAH’S FUNERAL PROCESSION 110 FIG. 21: ABDULLAH IN RED FEZ 111 FIG. 22: PHOTOGRAPH OF MARGARET MAY ”MAGGIE” STANSFIELD 113 FIG. 23: ABDULLAH WITH MAGGIE AND THE FAMILY AT OAK LODGE 115 !4 MILESTONES IN ABDURAHMAN’S LIFE ⤜ Timeline ⤛ 1872 / 18 December Permanent Residence at the Cape Abdullah Abdurahman was born Wellington, Western Cape 1904 Elected City Councillor of District Six c. 1877 – 1880 Holds office until 1940, except for years 1913-1915 Attended Huguenot Seminary’s Sunday School 1905 c. 1881 – 1887 Becomes President of the APO Studied at Marist Brothers Begins printing its official vox, the eponymously named APO & South African College School Gardens, Cape Town 1906 First Delegation to British Parliament 1888 – 1893 ☤ Registered in Medical School at the 1907 / November University of Glasgow Queenstown Conference Graduates MB, CM in 1893 First major attempt for non-white political coalition 1892 - Cape Franchise further restricted 1909 Second Delegation to London c. 1894 ⚭ Married Helen 'Nellie' Potter James 1910: Union of South Africa London, England 1912 / 12 January 1893 – 1895/1901 Trafalgar High School established Internship & Postgraduate Study in London Setting up Medical Practise in Cape Town 1913 LRCP, MRCS, Chemistry Rahmaniyeh Muslim Institute is founded First of 9 Muslim primary ‘institutes’ Abdullah founded 1896 / 8 May ♀ Waradea 'Rosie' was born 1914 At Abdullah’s Medical Offices at 99 Loop Street Elected to Cape Provincial Council 1897 / 6 November ♀ 1914 to 1918: World War 1 Zainunnissa 'Cissie' was born At Albert Lodge 1919/ 19 June ⚭ Cissie marries A. H. Gool 1898 ⚰ Abdul (father) Passed Away London, England 1921: Communist Party established 1899 to 1902: Second South African War 1923 Became Chairman of the Streets and Drainage 1901: Plague Outbreak / Forced Removals to Ndabeni Committee 1902:African Political Organization founded. 1923: Urban Areas Act segregate African residence 1902 / c. Jul ⚰ Khadija (mother) Passed Away c. 1925 ⚭ London, England Marries Margaret May 'Maggie' Stansfield 1902 / September Married by Muslim rites, by Sheik Abduragiem !5 In Claremont, Cape Town c. 1925 ⚮ Divorces Nellie 1934 Appointed to Wilcox Coloured Commission 1925 / 16 November First commission for discussion of coloured conditions, etc. Deputation to India 1937 1926 / 10 January ♀ Pushed out of the Streets & Drainage Committee Begum Jehanara Gadija is born by M. J. Adams & the New Reform Party 1927: Cape Town Agreement with India 1937 Schotsche Kloof negotiations with the city 1927 Notes? Resignation as a member of the Health and Building Regulations Committee. 1939 Sept: World War 2 begins 1929 / 8 November ⚭ Rosie marries Ebrahim Abdul Kader 1940 / 2 February ⚰ Abdullah Abdurahman Passes Away 1930 Cardiac arrest in his home on Kloof Street Proposes plans for Moslem School Posthumous ⚱ For Pentz Street 1930 / ♂ 1999 / Awarded Order for Meritorious Service Abdullah Dara Shikoh is born Class 1 (Gold); awarded by Nelson Mandela 'for his work against racial oppression'. 1933 Medical Misconduct Case against Abdullah SOURCES: See Appendix P. Death Indexes of England and Wales, UK Board of Trade Incoming/Outgoing Passenger Lists, William Hendrickse (grandson), G. Lewis’ Between the Wire and the Wall, B. 1934 / ♂ Nasson, Oxford Dictionary of Biography, NWU/AFP, Ottoman Nizamodien Ebrahim Stansfield is born State Archives, Censuses of Scotland; England and Wales, British newspapers, E. Digby, 'Early Black Doctors', Cape Times, Cape Standard, Cape Argus, South African News, V. 1934 Bickford-Smith et al, Making of Cape Town, Cape Town Livingstone High School is founded Archives Depot, South African Medical Journal. R. R. Edgar, ed, An African American in South Africa. !6 "Old Abdo!" Jamal ud-Din " Betsy" (nee ??) "Hadjie" (b. -l 800's - d 1862 - 1875) (b. before 1834- d 1876 - 1888) Khairun Havva Nisa Beyan Mahommed Studies medicine in London greengrocer greengrocer &fruiterer f1Sh merr:hant Khadijah r CD) ( unknown ) Studied embroidery in a Abdul "Hadjie" Rahman Khadijah (nee Dollie) London art school, marries (b. -1834 - d 1898) CD) (b-1847-d. 1902) an Indian prince and Islamic theology teacher; merchant &f1Shmonger schoolteacher & seamstress f%Jifo- oo becomes India ~·first Muslim woman justice. Mehmet Fuat Ataullah AhmctAtaullah Bey Effendi Gacilla Mobsena I+- A tau I/ah is the only surviving son ofAbu Bakr Effendi & Rukea Maker ID I (b. Mar 1865 - d. IONov 1903) (b. ??- d 1943) (Ataul/ah is the second-born, his elder brother died during childbirth) Arabic teacher & diplomat Abu Bakr Rusdu Ataullah Hammid (b. - 1860s- d ??) CD) unknown ~ ID ( Sally (nee ??) ) Abdullah "Sonny" Eshaam ( Rukchha ) CD) Gamat Misbagh pharmacy assistant B Rukea (nee Abrahams) Helen "Nellie" Potter (nee James) + ABDULLAH ABD + ~ l (b. 2Sopt 1872 - < 19'3) • (b. 18 Dec 1872 - d 20 Feb 1940) doctor & politician CD) I Margaret May "Maggie" (nee Stansfield) (b. 31 Dec 1899 - d. 16 Apr 1974) Ismail (b.160ct 1888-d ??) CD) I Rukea (nee?? Dollie) doctor Remzi Drowned in childhood in a Edmund Overend I Himli I 1+- pharmacist ~ CD) reservoir in the Transvaal wire worker Ebrahim i -+I (b. l 890's - d ??) Nothing further is known about Ebrahim f Remzi is reported to L::J chemist assistant have never married.