The Muslim News - Obituary - South Africa buries a true son of the soil

Issue 181, Friday 28 May 2004 - 10 Rabi' al-Akhar 1425

Obituary - South Africa buries a true son of the soil

Abdullah Mohamed Omar – Dullah as he was commonly known – was a lawyer, freedom fighter, politician, husband, father – and an altogether wonderful human being. In the early morning of March 13, Dullah Omar succumbed to a 15-month battle with Hodgkins Disease, a form of cancer in Cape Town, South Africa.
Dullah was, in a word – amiable. He helped to usher in a government for the people by the people, but above all he was a man for the people. Dullah Omar was something of an anomaly —a towering icon who shunned the trappings that came with his status.
In fact, often, Comrade Dullah could barely hide his embarrassment if someone accorded him special attention, gave him the due respect or even acknowledged the high position he held in government.
Dullah was always in touch with the sentiments and concerns of the man and woman in the street, for he was never himself far from the grassroots. Dullah Omar was a great man but he owes much of this greatness to his wonderful wife, Farida.
Farida, was that strong, dependable and courageous individual who stood firm against overwhelming odds. She was in the trenches with him and is acknowledged for her contribution in her own right. While she was known as Mrs Omar she was also Farida, a smiling face and a helping hand to those who were in the depths of despair.
South African President, Thabo Mbeki, Deputy President, Jacob Zuma, former president Nelson Mandela, virtually the entire South African cabinet, other VIPs and dignitaries joined thousands of ordinary South Africans at Omar’s funeral. The funeral was a combination of an official state funeral and burial by Muslim rites.
The funeral procession walked the 1.5km route to a football stadium for the start of the funeral ceremony. President Mbeki was among those walking in the procession. Unlike normal state funerals, the family decided to dispense with a gun carriage, and Omar’s body was transported to the stadium in a traditional Muslim bier.
Paying tribute to Omar, Mbeki said the task was to follow in Omar’s footsteps. But, this would be a difficult task because it was difficult to be as humble as he had been, said Mbeki.
“Dullah was not just an exceptional lawyer. He and his wife, Farida, became a pillar of strength to all our families during our incarceration, assisting us in various ways and keeping us together,” said Nelson Mandela.
“Dullah was a lawyer for the people, a human rights lawyer in the truest meaning of the word. Dullah has distinguished himself over many years as a true leader, progressive in thinking, realising the importance of education, justice and a free society. A humbler, more committed, more decent person you could not wish to find”, Mandela added.
Omar was born in Observatory on May 26, 1934. He matriculated from the Trafalgar High School in Cape Town, and went to study law at the University of Cape Town. He graduated with an LLB degree in 1957.
He was admitted as an attorney in 1960, and as an advocate of the Supreme Court in 1982. During practice both as an attorney and an advocate, he served deprived communities, involving civil and criminal defence work and handling housing, pass laws, labour and work related cases.
He acted as a defence lawyer for numerous prisoners serving sentences at Robben Island and elsewhere, and legal representative to a number of trade unions as well as civic and religious organisations. He was a defence lawyer in many political trials involving members of banned organisations such as the ANC, PAC and BCM charged with resistance activities against the apartheid regime.
Omar was Chairperson of the United Democratic Front (UDF) Western Cape Region in 1987 and 1988, and Vice-president from 1988 until the UDF’s dissolution in 1991.
He was a national Vice-President and Western Cape regional President of the National Association of Democratic Lawyers (NADEL), a trustee of the South African Legal Defence Fund, and a Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of South Africa.
He served as Director of the Community Law Centre at the University of the Western Cape until his appointment as South Africa’s first Minister of Justice in a democratically-elected government in 1994.
He was elected to the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) in 1991, and as Chairperson of the ANC in the Western Cape in 1996. He was a member of the constitutional committee of the Legal Department of the ANC from 1990 to 1994, and a member of the ANC negotiating team leading to the constitutional and political settlement in South Africa.
Omar served as Minister of Justice from 1994 to 1999, and was also the minister responsible for intelligence. He was the first member of cabinet to be appointed Acting President in the absence of both the President and the Deputy President. He was appointed Minister of Transport in June 1999, after the country’s second democratic elections.
Omar has been honoured with two Doctorates of Law, from the University of Fort Hare in 1993 and the University of Durban Westville in 1996. He has also been honoured with awards in the USA, Chile and Germany for his contribution to the struggle for human rights in South Africa.
It is the hope of all good people that when they shuffle off this mortal coil they would have contributed in some way in making a difference to the lot of their fellow man.
No one can argue that Dullah Omar left this world a better place. In consideration of the portfolios that Minister Omar held we pray that that the Almighty will transport him to the place of sublime peace and justice.
Tariq al Mali,
Johannesburg, South Africa

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