Stellenbosch: President Cyril Ramaphosa has paid tribute to world-renowned actor, novelist, and playwright Athol Fugard who passed away on Sunday in Stellenbosch. Fugard was widely known as one of South Africa’s greatest playwrights, creating works that addressed the injustices of the Apartheid government and collaborating with artists across racial divides during some of South Africa’s darkest historical periods.
According to South African Government News Agency, President Ramaphosa emphasized Fugard’s unique position as a white South African who actively opposed the injustices perpetrated during Apartheid. ‘Beyond the impressive body of work that he has left behind, Athol Fugard will be remembered for being an outlier amongst the millions of white South Africans who blithely turned a blind eye to the injustices being perpetrated in their name,’ President Ramaphosa said.
Fugard’s most well-known works include the plays “No Good Friday,” “The Blood Knot,” “Master Harold and the Boys,” and “Sizwe Bansi is De
ad.” His novel “Tsotsi” was also the inspiration for the 2005 Oscar-winning movie of the same name. In 1985, Time magazine honored Fugard as the ‘greatest active playwright in the English-speaking world.’
President Ramaphosa highlighted the nation’s gratitude for having had the opportunity to honor Fugard with the National Order of Ikhamanga in Silver during his lifetime. ‘The Fugard Theatre in District Six in Cape Town stands as a fitting tribute to a man whose life and works have left an indelible footprint, and that will continue to inspire generations of creative professionals for time to come,’ President Ramaphosa added.