Breyten Breytenbach, South African writer and painter who challenged apartheid and was jailed seven years, dies at 85

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 25 — South Africa’s award-winning writer Breyten Breytenbach, an anti-apartheid activist who was jailed for his beliefs, died on Sunday in Paris at the age of 85, his daughter told AFP.

A poet, author and painter, Breytenbach left his native country in the early 1960s to settle in Paris, where he became one of the most influential voices against South Africa’s legalised system of racial segregation.

“My father, the South African painter and poet Breyten Breytenbach, died peacefully on Sunday, November 24, in Paris, at the age of 85,” Daphnee Breytenbach said.

Breytenbach published around 50 books during his lifetime, including “The True Confession of an Albino Terrorist” and numerous volumes of poetry, written mainly in his native Afrikaans.

“Immense artist, militant against apartheid, he fought for a better world until the end,” his daughter said.

And in a post on Instagram accompanied by a photo of the two of them smiling together, she added: “He leaves a huge void.

“He was the most exceptional human being I have ever known. I am immensely proud to call him my father.”

Jailed under apartheid

The writer spent seven years in jail in South Africa including two in solitary confinement.

French president Francois Mitterrand helped secure his release in 1982 and he returned to France, where he became a citizen.

He was later named Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur et Commandeur des Arts et Lettres, France’s top cultural award.

Jack Lang, who served as culture minister under Mitterrand, also paid tribute to his friend.

“A tender-hearted rebel, he was involved in all struggles for human rights,” he posted on X.

“His ardent commitment to those who suffer and his fight against apartheid was exemplary and decisive,” he added.

Breytenbach was born in the small Western Cape town of Bonnievale in 1939.

Though he eventually settled in France with his wife, Yolande Ngo Thi Hoang Lien, he travelled back to South Africa regularly.

“His words, his paintings, his imagination, his resilience will continue to guide us,” his daughter said. — AFP