South African anti-apartheid author, poet, and activist Breyten Breytenbach has died in Paris at the age of 85, his family announced Sunday.
Breytenbach, known for his work as a novelist, poet, painter, and outspoken critic of apartheid, influenced literature and the arts both in South Africa and internationally. He is best known for his 1986 memoir Confessions of an Albino Terrorist, in which he recounts his conviction for treason in 1975 and his subsequent seven-year imprisonment.
After his release, Breytenbach settled in Paris but remained deeply connected to South Africa, notably aligning himself with Okhela, an ideological faction of the African National Congress. He was a leading voice in Afrikaans literature, a language developed by white settlers, and a passionate critic of the apartheid regime that oppressed South Africa’s Black majority.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa honored Breytenbach on Monday, describing him as a humanist whose diverse art forms conveyed the militancy, tragedy, and resilience of South Africa’s liberation struggle.
Born in 1939 in the Western Cape province, Breytenbach spent much of his life abroad.
