Pretoria – International Relations and Co- operation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane paid tribute yesterday to anti-apartheid activist and poet Dennis Brutus, 85, who died in his sleep this weekend.

“Once more, death has robbed us of one of Africa’s greatest sons of the soil, whose contribution to the struggle against apartheid and passion for social justice and human rights for all mankind has left an indelible mark in South Africa and the international community,” the minister said.

“Comrade Dennis Brutus understood fully well that South Africa could not occupy its rightful place in the family of nations within the global village and reach its full potential without ridding herself of the scourge of racial segregation and discrimination which the United Nations correctly defined as crime against humanity.

“As we celebrate his life work as a South African poet and political activist, let us remember that Prof Dennis Brutus’s poetic licence was first and foremost inspired by the quest for the restoration of human dignity and achievement of a better life for all.”

Rhodesia-born Brutus grew up in Port Elizabeth, where he was a teacher from the late 1940s to the early 1960s.

Nkoana-Mashabane said his successful campaign against all-white sport led to the country being “a thousand miles ahead” on the eve of hosting the Fifa World Cup.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife, May, the children and the entire Brutus family,” she said. – Sapa