10-03-2025
Athol Fugard Dies: South African Playwright & ‘Tsotsi' Writer Was 92
Athol Fugard, the Blood Knot, Master Harold… and the Boys and Tsotsi writer who is widely regarded as South Africa's greatest ever playwright, has died. He was 92.
According to AP, the South African government has confirmed Fugard's death and said South Africa 'has lost one of its greatest literary and theatrical icons, whose work shaped the cultural and social landscape of our nation.' A cause of death was not given.
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'We were cursed with apartheid but blessed with great artists who shone a light on its impact and helped to guide us out of it. We owe a huge debt to this late, wonderful man,' South African Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie said of Fugard, as reported by AP.
South African movie producer Anant Singh called Fugard a 'national treasure.' 'Athol's passing leaves a huge void in the South African theatre landscape, but he leaves a rich legacy of thought-provoking works for generations to come,' he added.
Born in 1932, Fugard is widely regarded as South Africa's greatest playwright, and he was called 'the greatest active playwright in the English-speaking world' by Time in 1985.
He published more than 30 plays and many of them were political in nature, searingly opposed to the South African apartheid, which ended when Nelson Mandela became President in 1994.
Six of Fugard's plays ended up on Broadway, including The Blood Knot and two productions of Master Harold… and the Boys. The former tells of how the relationship between two Black half-brothers deteriorates because one has lighter skin and can pass for white, while the semi-autobiographical latter depicts how institutionalized racism, bigotry or hatred can become absorbed by those who live under it.
Fugard also wrote the novel Tsotsi about a young street thug who steals a car only to discover a baby in the back seat, which was made into a movie by Gavin Hood and won the 2006 Oscar for Best International Feature.
His other works included The Road to Mecca, My Children! My Africa! and, most recently, Concerning the Life of Babyboy Kleintjies.
He is survived by his wife, the playwright Paula Fourie, and three children.
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