Dr. Mamphela Ramphele, chairperson of the Archbishop Desmond Tutu IP Trust, has shared heartfelt condolences following the passing of Louise Asmal.
Asmal, who was reported to have passed on over the weekend, was a steadfast advocate for human rights and cultural integration.
Ramphele’s poignant tribute reflects on the significant legacy she leaves behind, intertwined with the wider narrative of South Africa’s journey toward democracy.
In a statement, Ramphele detailed: “In the 1990s, when South Africans began returning home from political exile ahead of the historic first democratic election, among them was the Asmal family, from Dublin, headed by charismatic law professor Kader and his English-born long-time partner in love and Struggle, Louise.’’
She shared that Louise’s dedication to the anti-apartheid movement began as she embraced her life alongside Kader, who was a founding member of both the British and Irish anti-apartheid movements.
Louise served as the honorary secretary for decades, actively bolstering efforts to dismantle systemic oppression back home while establishing herself as a prominent player in South African civil society.
Upon their return to South Africa, the couple quickly became instrumental figures in the cultural, academic, and political landscapes of Cape Town. Kader took up a significant role in President Nelson Mandela’s post-war Cabinet, while Louise diligently worked behind the scenes as a writer, researcher, administrator, and human rights activist.
Ramphele continued, acknowledging the numerous lives touched by Louise and Kader, including the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Mrs Leah Tutu.
“Professionally, Kader contributed significantly to the conceptualisation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, chaired by the Arch. Later, Arch (as Patron) and Louise (as Board Member) served the Institute for Reconciliation and Justice for many years,” she noted, emphasising the couple’s lasting influence on the nation.
“Kader passed away 13 years ago, and it was with great sadness that we learnt of Louise’s passing over the weekend. On behalf of the Archbishop Tutu IP Trust, I send love and condolences to the Asmal family. May your mother and grandmother rest in peace and rise in glory. You should be very proud of this modest, gracious, quiet heroine,” she said.
Meanwhile, the passing of revered Afrikaans poet and ex-political prisoner, Breyten Breytenbach marks the closing chapter of a voice that sought justice through verse.
The Breytenbach family confirmed in a statement that he had passed on peacefully on Sunday in Paris, France, with his wife Yolande by his side.
“A vocal opponent of apartheid, Breytenbach joined Okhela, a separate ideological wing of the ANC in exile, and was imprisoned upon his clandestine return to South Africa in 1975. Despite this, his artistic and literary contributions flourished, cementing his place as one of South Africa’s most courageous and visionary figures.
“Since Breyten’s 80th birthday, he had been exploring denouement towards death, and expressing his uncomfortable discoveries through his art and writings. In this way he had the courage to give form to the forever formlessness from which we come, and to which we shall surely return,” the statement read.
Breytenbach was born in Bonnievale, Western Cape, in 1939, and was one of five siblings.
Breytenbach’s death at age 85 has left a mark not only in the landscape of South African literature, but his literary reputation spread internationally, with work having been translated into Dutch, English, French and German.
His opposition to apartheid saw him leave South Africa for Paris and publishing his first work during 1964, Die Ysterkoei Moet Sweet (The Iron Cow Must Sweat). He returned to South Africa in 1975 when he was arrested.
According to South Africa History Online, Breytenbach pleaded guilty to entering South Africa to start an organisation, Atlas or Okhela, which intended to be the white wing of the ANC.
Charged with treason under the draconian Terrorism Act, he was sentenced in the Pretoria Supreme Court to nine years in prison. Even while in prison Breytenbach was prolific, writing five volumes of poetry and English prose.