The renowned anti-apartheid writer and activist Breyten Breytenbach, jailed for his beliefs in South Africa in the 1970s, has died aged 85, his family

South African anti-apartheid writer Breytenbach dies

submited by
Style Pass
2024-11-25 03:00:05

The renowned anti-apartheid writer and activist Breyten Breytenbach, jailed for his beliefs in South Africa in the 1970s, has died aged 85, his family said.

The dissident poet, novelist and painter was "an immense artist, militant against apartheid, he fought for a better world until the end," a statement from his family read.

Breytenbach's sharp intellect earned him widespread admiration, prompting the British satirical television puppet show Spitting Image to describe him as "the only nice South African” in a song during apartheid's darkest days.

Born in the Western Cape on 16 September 1939, to a family of five, Breytenbach lived much of his life abroad, but always remained true to his South African roots.

He attended the University of Cape Town and joined a group of Afrikaans poets and writers called the Sestigers, who wanted to highlight the beauty of the language while critiquing the racist apartheid regime.

In an interview with The New York Times, he said: "I'd never reject Afrikaans as a language, but I reject it as part of the Afrikaner political identity. I no longer consider myself an Afrikaner."

Leave a Comment