South African dissident writer, poet Breyten Breytenbach dies at 85

JOHANNESBURG — South African writer and poet Breyten Breytenbach, a staunch opponent of the former South African white minority government’s apartheid policy, has died in Paris, his family announced on Sunday. He was 85.

Breytenbach was a celebrated wordsmith, a leading voice in literature in Afrikaans — an offshoot of Dutch that was developed by white settlers — and a fierce critic of apartheid. He served seven years in prison in the 1970s for treason upon his return from exile from Paris.

His work addressed themes of exile, identity and justice, his family said in a statement on Sunday.

“Known for his masterful poetry collections in Afrikaans, as well as autobiographical works such as ‘The True Confessions of an Albino Terrorist’ and ‘A Season in Paradise,’ he fearlessly addressed themes of exile, identity and justice,” his family said in a statement.

Breytenbach was a poet, novelist, painter and activist whose work touched on and influenced literature and the arts both domestically and abroad.

He was born in the Western Cape province in 1939, but spent much of his life abroad.

He joined Okhela, an ideological wing of South Africa’s African National Congress, in exile, but remained deeply connected to his South African roots.

He is survived by his wife, Yolande, daughter Daphnée and two grandsons.