President Ramaphosa mourns passing of poet, writer and former political prisoner James Matthews

President Cyril Ramaphosa is deeply saddened by the passing of acclaimed poet, writer and political and cultural activist Mr James Matthews at the age of 95.

Mr Matthews was an Esteemed Member of the National Order of Ikamanga, who received this honour in 2004 for his excellent achievements in literature, contributing to journalism and his inspirational commitment to the struggle for a non-racial South Africa.

President Ramaphosa offers 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.

Born into a working-class District Six family, a teenage James Matthews worked as a messenger at a Cape Town newspaper where, in his own words, his introduction to a library was “one of wonderment”.

This revelation started him on a career and life’s mission of journalism, poetry, short stories, essays and tireless denunciation of the apartheid system, the response to which included periods of detention and denial of a passport for more than a decade.

President Ramaphosa said: “James Matthews’s voice will ring in our consciousness following his departure and we will remain captivated and inspired by the rage and elegance with 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.

“May he now rest in peace.”

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President – media@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria