Melikhaya Zagagana25 November 2024 | 3:45
Renowned activist Breyten Breytenbach dies at 85
Born in 1939 in Bonnievale in the Western Cape, Breytenbach became a leading Afrikaans poet and a staunch critic of the apartheid government.
South African writer Breyten Breytenbach. Picture:Ulf Andersen Aurimages via AFP
JOHANNESBURG -Prominent South African writer, poet, and activist Breyten Breytenbach has died.
The author passed away in Paris on Sunday aged 85.
Born in 1939 in Bonnievale, in the Western Cape, Breytenbach became a leading Afrikaans poet and a staunch critic of the apartheid government.
He spent seven years in prison on terrorism charges between 1975 and 1982.
After his release, Breytenbach lived in exile and became a naturalised citizen of France.
His family says the 85-year-old died peacefully, in the presence of his wife, Yolande.