Breyten Breytenbach, the celebrated anti-apartheid writer, poet, and activist, has passed away at the age of 85, his family announced. He died peacefully in his sleep in Paris, with his wife, Yolande Ngo Thi Hoang Lien, by his side.
“A militant against apartheid, he fought for a better world until the end,” his family said in a statement, describing him as “an immense artist.”
Breytenbach’s sharp intellect and commitment to justice earned him widespread admiration. The British satirical show Spitting Image once called him “the only nice South African” in a song during apartheid’s darkest days. Former French education minister Jack Lang also paid tribute on X, writing: “A rebel with a tender heart, he was part of all the struggles for human rights.”
Born in the Western Cape on 16 September 1939, Breytenbach was one of five children. Although he spent much of his life abroad, he remained deeply connected to his South African roots. After attending the University of Cape Town, he joined the Sestigers, a group of Afrikaans poets and writers who sought to celebrate the language while condemning the racist apartheid regime.
Afrikaans, derived from Dutch settlers, became closely associated with apartheid under the Afrikaner government. Despite his love for the language, Breytenbach rejected its political ties.
“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,” he told The New York Times.
Breytenbach left South Africa in 1960, going into self-imposed exile in Europe. After brief stints in London, he settled in France, where he met Yolande. The couple’s attempt to return to South Africa in the 1960s was thwarted when Yolande was denied a visa due to apartheid laws forbidding interracial marriage.
In 1975, Breytenbach returned to South Africa clandestinely to support resistance groups. He was arrested and sentenced to seven years in prison for terrorism. During his incarceration, he continued to write poetry, and his experience inspired his critically acclaimed novel, The True Confessions of an Albino Terrorist. The book provides a harrowing account of his time in prison, including two years in solitary confinement.
Thanks to efforts by French President François Mitterrand, Breytenbach was released in 1982 and later became a French citizen.
While he initially fought against apartheid, Breytenbach also criticised the post-apartheid government led by Nelson Mandela, accusing the African National Congress (ANC) of becoming a “corrupt organisation.” His activism extended beyond South Africa, as demonstrated by his 2002 open letter to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
“Why should we look the other way when it is Israel committing crimes?” he wrote, condemning the treatment of Palestinians.
Over his lifetime, Breytenbach published more than 50 books, many translated into multiple languages. He also gained recognition for his surreal paintings, often portraying themes of captivity. His contributions to art and literature earned him France’s highest cultural honour, the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters.
Breytenbach is survived by his wife Yolande, daughter Daphnée, and two grandsons.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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