DA mourns the passing of Breyten Breytenbach

The Democratic Alliance notes with deep sadness the passing of award winning Afrikaans writer, poet, artist and anti-apartheid activist, Breyten Breytenbach.

Breytenbach is widely considered to be one of Afrikaans’ most important poets and, throughout his long career, was awarded among others the Zbigniew Herbert International Literature Prize (2017) and the Alan Paton Prize for Literature.

In 1975, Breyten was sentenced to imprisononment for treason against the apartheid government, a sentence of which he served for seven years, during which some of his best work was done.

He also accompanied his friend, Frederik van Zyl Slabbert, to the Dakar Conference in 1987 that paved the way for negotiations with the ANC, and continued to work towards the establishment of a democratic South Africa. He continued to be involved with the Gorée Institute in Dakar, Senegal, after this.

Breyten’s poetry has always reflected a deep sense of humanity, which reflected his own values and nature. He was among the best of us, recognised as such well beyond the shores of South Africa.

The DA sends its heartfelt condolences to his beloved Yolande.