Zainab Asvat

Zainab Asvat was a South African medical doctor and political activist. She became politically active in the 1940s and participated in the 1946 Passive Resistance Campaign against discriminatory legislation. She was among the first women elected to the Transvaal Indian Congress Committee and later organised support for families of activists arrested during the Treason Trial. In 1963, she led a women's march to the Union Buildings against forced removals and discriminatory policies. She was subsequently banned and later went into exile in Britain. Quotes “I owe my politicisation to Dr Dadoo, but for him, I may well not have been a doctor today.” South African Communist Party “We pitched our tents on Gale Street. For three weeks the authorities ignored us. We slept in the tents, but went home in the morning to wash and refresh ourselves. There were six tents, two for women and four for the men. M.D. Naidoo led the men. I led the women.” South African Communist Party “Eventually we were arrested and imprisoned.” South African Communist Party “Mota also had a profound effect on the youth. My brothers followed him to the city Hall steps in Johannesburg. Things could get quite rough there. I trailed along behind my big brother Saleh who tried to shake me off. I would cry and my father would say, ‘Take her!’ We used to stand with placards.” South African Communist Party “I was amazed by the Nana women, who were brought in cars, in their awdnies and miesars. We did not have cars to bring out our women in such large numbers, so we lost out to Nana.” South African Communist Party “I told my father I wanted to be a doctor. I always played at being doctor and would dispense a medicine ‘(sugar)’ to the young children who called me doctor. My father said he would discuss it with Mota, which he did, and it was due to Mota’s influence that he supported my medical career.” South African Communist Party External links Category:1920 births Category:2013 deaths Category:Activists from South Africa Category:South African physicians Category:Anti-apartheid activists Category:Women activists Category:South African political activists