Diana Ferrus: Family petitions Western Cape govt for official funeral

The family of literary doyenne Diana Ferrus petitioned the Western Cape government for an official funeral. 

Ferrus died in hospital on Friday after suffering a stroke a few weeks ago.

She was 72.

ALSO READ:Mourning Diana Ferrus: The iconic voice who brought Sarah Baartman home dies at 72

Diana Ferrus was known as the "people’s poet".  

One of her most iconic literary pieces was a tribute to Sarah Baartman.

The poem played a pivotal role in the repatriation of Baartman's remains from a French museum.

In a 2024 interview on CapeTalk, Ferrus explained how French authorities came to learn of her poem, I've come to take you home. 

"The poem went onto the internet, and that is where a French senator, Nicolas Abou, saw the poem. Because the French made a law in 1850 that all artifacts in French museums belonged to the French state. So Senator Abou was busy preparing a bill to have Saaki's remains returned. And when he saw the poem, he was totally convinced and touched." 

She was also on the repatriation flight to South Africa.

"That she could come back and dispel all the untruths said about her and said about us. That in a way is peace already." 

In a statement, the family of Diana Ferrus appealed to the government to honour her legacy with an official funeral.