Daryl Burman, a champion of justice and women's rights, has passed away at 88, leaving behind a legacy of integrity, mentorship and transformation in the legal community.

It was on a dance floor in Cape Town in the 1960s that a young Daryl Burman met Olga, then a theatre nurse at Groote Schuur Hospital.

From that first dance - the young man who would go on to become a tower of the Gqeberha legal fraternity - knew Olga was destined to be his wife. What he didn't know was how together they would create a haven that has become a beacon of hope for vulnerable women in Nelson Mandela Bay.

She was somebody else's date, but that did not stop him.

"On their very first dance, he told her, 'I am going to marry you'," said Francois Burman, the eldest of the couple's four children, clearly recalling a much-loved family story.

The couple tied the knot on 4 December 1960 in Cape Town. Over their more than five decades together, they built not only a family but also a shared commitment to social justice.

In 1988, Daryl and Olga co-founded Yokhuselo Haven, a refuge for women and children affected by violence, opening their home and hearts to those in need.

"Together, my parents fought vehemently against woman and child abuse," said another son, Pierre.

Burman, who passed...