Living Cape Town
Civic life
Women, families and the public city
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Zainunnisa “Cissie” Gool belongs in the story of Cape Town’s public life. Her organising and political work connect District Six with a wider struggle for equality.
Cissie Gool
Cape Town Museum describes Gool as an organiser who addressed people in the streets and encouraged them to take part in political struggle. Her parents were Nellie James and Dr Abdullah Abdurahman, and the household joined family life to public debate.
Keep women in the account
A guide organised only around mosques and male scholars leaves women at the edge of the story. Gool’s life is a starting point: organising, education and the work of building a public voice.
Where to look
The museum’s biography, linked below, places her within her family and the political groups around her. In the District Six Museum, look for the women’s names in the displays.
From the page to the place
Plan a visit
District Six Museum
25A Buitenkant Street
The District Six Museum tells the story of a neighbourhood and the people forced from it under apartheid. Personal memories and accounts of everyday life help you understand what was lost beyond the buildings themselves. This is a place to give your attention to people’s testimony and to think about how forced removal still shapes the geography of Cape Town.
Visiting detailsConfirm access and opening times before setting out.