By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Photo Credit: Beeld.
The South African Literary Awards (SALA) joined the nation and the literary fraternity in mourning the passing of Dr Diana Ferrus, who departed this world following a short illness.
On Friday, the niece of Ferrus, Laniëlle Hartzenberg, announced the news of her death at age 72.
“We extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, colleagues, comrades and to all whose lives were enriched by her extraordinary presence and work, SALA founder Morakabe Seakhoa said.”
A recipient of the 2023 SALA Lifetime Achievement Literary Award, Dr Ferrus was herself a towering literary figure whose writing and activism profoundly advanced the cause of freedom, justice and human dignity. Such was the magnitude of her contribution that she more than merits recognition befitting a National State Funeral, a fraternal call that SALA wholeheartedly supports, says Seakhoa.
Seakhoa added that beyond her gallant literary and political activism during the anti-apartheid struggle, her iconic poem, “I’ve Come to Take You Home”, a powerful tribute to Sarah Baartman, will forever stand as a rallying cry that mobilised global consciousness and helped secure the repatriation of Baartman’s mortal remains to South Africa.
SALA honours and thanks Dr Ferrus for her unwavering commitment to humanity, justice and the written word.
Dr Ferrus — who grew up in Worcester in the Western Cape and who is a recipient of an honorary doctorate from Stellenbosch University (SU) in 2022 — had a vast body of work that is widely recognised for its political impact.
She received the SU degree Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil), honoris causa, at the 2022 autumn graduation ceremony for the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
She started writing about her personal experiences at the age of 14, and since then, her work tackling questions of race, identity, gender, class, and reconciliation has garnered many awards.
Being a University of Western Cape (UWC) alumna, where she holds a Bachelor of Arts and BA Hons, and worked in their Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, the university honoured her legacy, describing her as “a cultural icon, a literary giant, and a cherished member”.
Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie said the work of the late poet and author, Dr Ferrus, has moved people across languages and generations.
McKenzie said the writing helped focus international attention on the injustice of Baartmans treatment and is credited as a contribution to the repatriation of her remains in 2002. The minister added Ferrus poetry helped restore dignity to untold stories.