# Dullah Omar

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For the Hong Kong lawn bowls and field hockey player, see [Omar Dallah](/source/Omar_Dallah).

**Abdullah Mohamed Omar** [OLS](/source/Order_of_Luthuli) (26 May 1934 – 13 March 2004), better known as **Dullah Omar**, was a South African anti-[Apartheid](/source/Apartheid) activist, lawyer, and a [minister](/source/Political_minister) in the South African [cabinet](/source/Cabinet_(government)) from 1994 until his death.

## Early life and education

Born in [Observatory, Cape Town](/source/Observatory,_Cape_Town),[1] to immigrant parents from [Gujarat](/source/Gujarat) in western [India](/source/India), Omar attended [Trafalgar High School](/source/Trafalgar_High_School_(Cape_Town)) in Cape Town.[2] He was a respected member of the [Muslim](/source/Muslim) community.[3] He attended the [University of Cape Town](/source/University_of_Cape_Town) and graduated with a law degree in 1957.[4]

## Anti-apartheid activities

He defended members of the [Pan Africanist Congress](/source/Pan_Africanist_Congress) (PAC) and [African National Congress](/source/African_National_Congress) (ANC) and was a member of the *Unity Movement* throughout the Early 70's and 80's before he joined and became a leading member of the [United Democratic Front](/source/United_Democratic_Front_(South_Africa)). He was a [human rights](/source/Human_rights) activist throughout his life.

His movement was generally restricted by "banning orders" and he was [detained](/source/Arrest) without trial repeatedly. He also survived plots by the apartheid government to [assassinate](/source/Assassination) him. In 1989, he became a spokesman of [Nelson Mandela](/source/Nelson_Mandela), during the last months of the latter's imprisonment.

## Government minister

In 1994, Omar became [Minister of Justice](/source/Justice_Minister) in South Africa in Nelson Mandela's ANC government, and was the first cabinet minister appointed Acting President in the absence of both the [President](/source/President_of_South_Africa) and Deputy President from South Africa. He played a major role in transforming the South African justice system. One of his principal actions was the promulgation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in July 1995 to look into the crimes committed during apartheid and offer platforms for victims and their families to confront the perpetrators, who would in turn be offered amnesty for coming forward. The model served as an inspiration for other post-conflict societies in places such as Sierra Leone and Rwanda.

In 1999, following the election of [Thabo Mbeki](/source/Thabo_Mbeki) as President, Omar became the [Minister of Transport](/source/Minister_of_Transport_(South_Africa)), a post that he held until his death from [cancer](/source/Cancer).

Of [Indian](/source/Indian_South_African) descent and a lifelong resident of the [Western Cape](/source/Western_Cape_Province), he was married with three children, and was buried with official honours, and in accordance with Muslim rites on the day of his death.

## See also

- [List of members of the National Assembly of South Africa who died in office](/source/List_of_members_of_the_National_Assembly_of_South_Africa_who_died_in_office)

## References

1. Shaw, Gerald (2004-03-16). ["Obituary: Dullah Omar"](https://www.theguardian.com/news/2004/mar/16/guardianobituaries.southafrica). *The Guardian*. Retrieved 2018-10-19.

1. [City School turns 100](http://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/city-school-trafalgar-turns-100-1.1211509#.U-kHP_ldWpA), iol.co.za, January 2012, retrieved 11 August 2014

1. ["South African leader of Indian origin dead"](https://web.archive.org/web/20050831180506/http://www.hindu.com/2004/03/14/stories/2004031401320900.htm). *[The Hindu](/source/The_Hindu)*. 2004-03-14. Archived from [the original](http://www.hindu.com/2004/03/14/stories/2004031401320900.htm) on 2005-08-31. Retrieved 2018-10-19.

1. ["All things Indian - Nelson Mandela & Indians"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130927004830/http://indiansa.wozaonline.co.za/products). Archived from [the original](http://indiansa.wozaonline.co.za/products) on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-28.

## External links

- [A biography of Dullah Omar](https://web.archive.org/web/20040618122242/http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_1497718,00.html)
- [An ANC profile of Omar](https://web.archive.org/web/20040217204102/http://www.anc.org.za/people/omar.html)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Dullah Omar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dullah_Omar) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dullah_Omar?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.