A Ladysmith councillor plans to use her position in the municipal executive committee to ensure more Indian representation in influential political positions.
Zehra Rassool was recently elected as the first Indian female speaker of the Emnambithi-Ladysmith local council.
She said filling her new position was gratifying on a personal level, but she believed there was still a way to go before Indians received recognition for their contribution during apartheid.
"I am proud of my achievement as speaker. It came after many years of hard work.
"However, I don't feel good being the only Indian ANC councillor in Ladysmith because I honestly think we are not properly represented considering the role and sacrifices Indians made in the liberation struggle. That, I feel, should never be forgotten," said Rassool.
The councillor's life is entrenched in political history. Her father, Abdool Khalik, was an active member of the ANC during the apartheid era.
The 34-year-old got her first taste of politics at 15 when her father motivated her to join the ANC Youth League.
Rassool later met her future husband, ANC activist Tubby Narrandas, through her work in politics.
The mother of three was elected as a councillor in 1998, the same year her father died.
Now Rassool says she wants to apply the principles her father passed on to her before his death to the way she manages her term as speaker.
"My dad always put the needs of others before his own. He stood up for what was right and never failed to call a spade a spade. He has instilled many of those values in me.
"His legacy lives on to this day. My dad left his footprint on Ladysmith's history."
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