President Cyril Ramaphosa has paid tribute to world-renowned actor, novelist and playwright Athol Fugard, who passed away yesterday in Stellenbosch.

Fugard was widely known as one of South Africa’s greatest playwrights – writing plays that dealt with the apartheid government’s injustices and working with artists across the racial divide during South Africa’s darkest parts of history.

“Beyond the impressive body of work that he has left behind, Athol Fugard will be remembered for being an outlier amongst the millions of white South Africans who blithely turned a blind eye to the injustices being perpetrated in their name,” Ramaphosa said.

Fugard’s most well-known work included the plays No Good Friday, The Blood Knot, Master Harold and the Boys, and Sizwe Bansi is Dead.

His book, Tsotsi, was also the inspiration behind the 2005 Oscar-winning movie of the same title.

In 1985, Time magazine honoured Fugard as the ‘greatest active playwright in the English-speaking world’.

“As a country we are grateful that we were able to honour the legendary Athol Fugard during his lifetime with the National Order of Ikhamanga in Silver.

“The Fugard Theatre in District Six in Cape Town stands as a fitting tribute to a man whose life and works have left an indelible footprint, and that will continue to inspire generations of creative professionals for time to come,” Ramaphosa added. – SAnews.gov.za

South Africa mourns Athol Fugard, 92, a pivotal figure in theater who exposed apartheid’s scars in plays like “The Blood Knot” and “’Master Harold’… and the Boys.” His works reshaped cultural discourse. Fugard’s legacy endures in impactful storytelling. pic.twitter.com/vTRLHSYKmp

— Nyra Kraal (@NyraKraal) March 10, 2025

The GOOD Party extends its deepest condolences on the passing of Athol Fugard, a towering figure in South African theatre and a courageous voice against apartheid. His remarkable contributions will forever influence our cultural fabric. We extend our heartfelt sympathy to his… pic.twitter.com/KeDxc09z4Z

— GOOD (@ForGoodZA) March 10, 2025

I was taken as a teenager to see “Master Harold” in New York. I have never been so emotionally devastated watching a work of art. I still feel the experience viscerally to this day. A monumental work

Athol Fugard, trenchant South African playwright, dies https://t.co/BttomIFPdg

— NKabcenell (@Nkabcen) March 10, 2025

The African Theatre Magazine joins the rest of the world in mourning the passing of Athol Fugard, a literary giant whose work reshaped theatre in South Africa and beyond.

1/4 pic.twitter.com/8Evqb5dlh4

— The African Theatre Magazine (@AfriTheatreMag) March 10, 2025

🕊️💔 ActionSA extends its heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of South African playwright and theatre legend Athol Fugard.

May his soul Rest in Peace. pic.twitter.com/adVyvtUOLl

— ActionSA (@Action4SA) March 10, 2025

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