FATIMA Meer was an activist, writer and academic.
Her activism started as a teenager during the 1940s and continued through the apartheid era into the 1990s and 2000s. Throughout her life she fought for the freedom and rights of all South Africans. She was a fiery, fearless speaker of truth to power, and her life and work have inspired many.
Meer was born in Durban on August 12, 1928, and grew up in a large family with eight brothers and sisters, many aunts, uncles and cousins.
Her father was born in Gujarat, India, and came to South Africa as a young boy with his family. He was the editor and owner of the newspaper Indian Views and her role model. Her dad loved books and made sure all his children attended school.
Entrance into activism
In 1946 the government introduced the Asiatic Land Tenure and Indian Representation Act, a law that limited the areas
