By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed sadness at the passing of acclaimed poet, writer and political and cultural activist, James Matthews.
Matthews died on Saturday in Cape Town at the age of 95.
In a statement, Ramaphosa said, he is “deeply saddened” by the passing of Matthews.
“We will remain captivated and inspired by the rage and elegance he articulated the stark struggles of the oppressed.
“We will be comforted by the many works he has left for us to revisit and by our memories of his appearances at rallies, ghoembas, the frontlines of street protest and intimate circles of kindred creatives where, beret askew on his head, he would feed the souls and fighting spirit of those around him,” Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa offered his condolences to the Matthews family whose loss is shared by communities across South Africa and associates globally of the poet, writer and patron of the Congress of South African Writers who exercised his creative endowment and political voice for close on 80 years of the 95 years of his life.”
Matthews was born in District Six in 1929. His love of writing became evident from a young age, and some of his first pieces were published when he was just 17 years old. He started working as a journalist and wrote for a variety of publications such as the Golden City Post, the Cape Times and Drum magazine.
He published his first poetry anthology in 1972, which was later banned under the regime of the time, before he was detained at Victor Verster prison in 1976. Through his writing, he protested against the apartheid regime and raised consciousness around oppression in South Africa. He later went on to own an art gallery in Cape Town and also established his own publishing company.
He was a true artist, who used his writing talent to raise awareness of oppression in South Africa during the apartheid years, and who was dedicated to giving other artists the platform to express their views. He gave life to many voices that were silenced in previous years.
Matthews is the first black person to have established an art gallery (Gallery Afrique) in South Africa, and is the first black to have established a publishing house (BLAC Publishing House 1974 -1991).
In 2013 he received an honorary doctorate from the University of the Western Cape, and recently in 2016 he was awarded him an honorary doctorate from Rhodes University in Grahamstown.
Tributes
Farid Sayed, the former editor of Muslim News, now known as Muslim Views, says Matthews was known to speak for ordinary people through his writings:
“Indeed it is a very sad day, I think for me personally, James Matthews having been my mentor when I joined Muslim News in 1975. He was the de facto editor but I think the nation and people at large will know James Matthews as an activist, poet-activist one who spoke truth to power when radical writing was being suppressed by the apartheid regime. I think the poetry of Matthews was something of when he spoke for ordinary people, and ordinary people also drew courage from his words. And this is how I will remember James and I think the country, the nation will remember James Matthews for his immense contribution, particularly to a radical revolution in poetry. So may his soul rest in peace.”
The Western Cape Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Ricardo Mackenzie, said: “It is always sad when we lose someone who had such a profound impact on the arts in our country. James Matthews was someone who fought for freedom of expression for writers and other artists. He was dedicated to his community and did reading groups at local schools for many years”.
“As prolific and talented as James Matthews was, he was so much more than just a writer and poet; he was integral to the anti-apartheid movement, giving a powerful voice through his writing to the oppressed. He was an important part of our province and country’s artistic fabric. He will be sorely missed and his contribution rightly celebrated. I extend the condolences of myself and our whole government to James’ family, friends, loved ones and all those who knew him. We celebrate him and the lives that he touched. We also know that he lives on through the many other artists he inspired,” said Western Cape Premier Alan Winde.