Cissie Gool

Zainunnisa 'Cissie' Gool was born on November 6, 1897, in Cape Town, the daughter of physician and civil rights pioneer Dr. Abdullah Abdurahman. Educated at the University of Cape Town and London, she completed an LLB degree in 1962, becoming the first non-white female advocate called to the Cape Bar.

In 1935, Gool founded the National Liberation League, serving as its first president and mobilizing mass protests against racial segregation. In 1938, she was elected to the Cape Town City Council representing District Six, serving for a quarter of a century as the indefatigable champion of the city's poorest residents. She also led the Non-European United Front, earning the beloved moniker 'Jewel of District Six'.