By Phila-Nathi Mapisa and Dideka Njemla
The literary world has come to a standstill. We are in mourning. A giant has fallen.
Athol Fugard, born on 11 June 1932, died on 8 March 2025, leaving a legacy that will echo through the generations.
Fugard was a playwright, novelist, actor, director, and teacher. His works reflected the realities of South Africans, capturing identity, oppression, and resilience with raw honesty. He was a master of his craft, a storyteller who understood that sometimes the most political act is simply telling the truth.
Rhodes University honoured Fugard in 1983 with a doctorate in literature, a tribute to his brilliance and immeasurable contributions to the world of theatre and storytelling. It was a recognition of his talent and his role in telling the stories of South Africans under apartheid and beyond.
Growing up in Gqeberha, Fugard’s connection to the Eastern Cape was personal. His experiences living under apartheid shaped his work, giving us stories that carried a quiet but undeniable political weight. Plays like Sizwe Banzi is Dead and Master Harold… and the Boys injected politics into everyday life, showing us how identity, race, and dignity played out in simple human interactions. His stories could not be ignored.
We talked to Makhaola Ndebele, the head of the Rhodes University Drama Department, to get a sense of Fugard’s impact. It was clear what an enormous contribution Fugard made to theatre. “Students always gravitated towards him,” Ndebele said. “His work is universal, and his dramas are deeply human, deeply understandable.”
Ndebele recalls first encountering Statements: Three Plays in high school and says now, more than 30 years later, his connection to Fugard’s writing remains as strong as ever. He showed us a book by Fugard that he signed out of the library in the 1990s; it’s battered and worn. In honour of Fugard’s legacy, his honours students are recreating scenes from his most iconic plays – an act of tribute, remembrance, and celebration.
Fugard was a generous man. His generosity extended beyond his words, beyond the stage. He donated original manuscripts to Makhanda’s Amazwi South African Museum of Literature. Standing in the museum, holding a book he signed, it was apparent I was touching significant work.
Fugard’s ties to Makhanda ran deep. As an honorary member of Grocott’s Mail, he kept a memento in his home – an ornate oak swivel chair that once belonged to the historic newspaper. His connection to Grahamstown also found its way into his work. In his play Hello and Goodbye, a pivotal scene occurs at a swimming race at the Diocesan School for Girls, a moment that subtly grounds his storytelling here.
Athol Fugard leaves behind a body of work that spans over 30 plays, several novels, and countless essays. His impact was recognised with numerous accolades, including the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver, a Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in Theatre, and the Praemium Imperiale for Theatre/Film, among many others.
He is survived by his second wife, Paula Fourie, and his children, Lisa and Halle.
His words live on. And as long as they do, Athol Fugard is not truly gone.
