Don Mattera

He established several literary organisations including the Congress of South African Writers. Mattera, who is Muslim, will be buried according to Islamic rites ...

His mother was a Tswana domestic worker, but his father was classified as Italian. He was a vocal opponent of apartheid and was placed under house arrest for eight years. The 87-year-old was a prolific poet, author and anti-apartheid activist.

Seasoned South African poet and apartheid activist Don Mattera has died. Mattera died on Monday and will be buried later in the day.

Mattera, who passed away at his home in Protea North, Soweto will be buried later in the day in accordance to Muslim rites. We are still celebrating Dr Mattera receipt and the unveiling of the star at the entrance of The Joburg Theatre, which celebrated 60 years over the weekend, and now he is gone,” said Jephta. Mattera underwent a medical check-up at the Military One Hospital in Pretoria a few weeks ago and was recovering at home.

Famed South African poet and author Don Matera has died. The family confirmed his death and said they would issue a full statement in due course.

My work is a shadow of my actions,” he said. He said he had completed another part of his autobiography, but there was more work to be done. Minutes into the interview, he picked up his 1987 autobiography, “Memory is a Weapon,” and began quoting from it. Mattera, 67, speaks often of compassion and says he is a compassionate man – “the highest religion is compassion” – who dedicates a lot of his energy and time to helping the less fortunate young people. He replied: “I want to be remembered as a man who loved his country and people.” His autobiography, “Memory is a Weapon,” won the Steve Biko Award.

Mattera was well-known of his poetry and criticism of the anti-apartheid government.

Mattera was well-known of his poetry and criticism of the anti-apartheid government. Mattera was well-known of his poetry and criticism of the anti-apartheid government.

Don Mattera in Maboneng, Johannesburg, on October 28 2021. Mattera died early on Monday. Image: Thapelo Morebudi. Award- ...

He was a man of great reputation in SA and was respected widely for his work in activism and for fighting for the rights of the underprivileged during the apartheid era. “His legacy will live on in the foundation he created for the communities of Westbury, Ennerdale, Bosmont and Eldorado Park.” The foundation expressed condolences at the death of a father, a husband, grandfather and great-grandfather.

He was a man of great reputation in South Africa," said City of Johannesburg Speaker Vasco da Gama.

Mattera is also known for his work among communities, particularly with the welfare of children. Mattera also worked as a journalist for Sowetan, the Sunday Times and The Weekly Mail. “He was a man of great reputation in South Africa. He was respected widely for his work in activism and for fighting for the rights of the underprivileged during the apartheid period,” said Da Gama.

The thing with Don Zinga is that, even though he was unapologetically a Zim-Zim, as Black Consciousness followers are referred to, he was tolerant of ...

Because he was loud and outspoken, he stood out among his colleagues and peers. This earned him a banning order from the apartheid state from 1973 to 1982. He was stabbed and shot at by rival gang members numerous times. If a white man, however, insisted on wanting to marry a non-white, he might, thanks to the stipulations by the Race Classification Board, lose his status as a white person. Unlike many of his coloured-age mates, Mattera got a good solid education. He was a fast-talking “klevah” who shuttled with elegance from formal English - very impeccable - to tsotsi taal.

JOHANNESBURG - Tributes continue to pour in for South African iconic poet, author, and apartheid anti-activist, Don Mattera who died on Monday.

Iconic poet Don Mattera will be remembered for the gift of creative thought, the art of assembling words and a flair for language.

The poem was about God and him having a man-to-man boxing match in a ring. I was a stranger sitting at the park opposite the Johannesburg City Library Gardens located between Market and Pritchard streets and bordered by Harrison and Sauer streets. "I know Bra Don as a Struggle person and as a journalist. "He comes from the era of protest writing. He said writing must show blind spots that readers may have missed, to say ‘I see’,” Ngwenya said. He worked as a journalist on The Sunday Times, The Weekly Mail, now Mail & Guardian, and Sowetan.

Mattera will be laid to rest according to Muslim rites, at Westpark Cemetery on Monday, July 18.

In his autobiography, “Memory is the Weapon”, Mattera paints a fascinating picture of his life on the streets of Sophiatown. Mattera was also a journalist and was the founding member of the Union of Black Journalists (UBJ), the African Writers Association (AWA), the Congress of South African Writers (Cosaw) and Skotaville Publishers. Due to ill health, the anti-apartheid activist was unable to attend the official opening of the Artfluence Human Rights event held at the Centre for Creative Arts, at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, on May 3.

JOHANNESBURG – President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent condolences to the loved ones of world-renowned poet and author Don Mattera.

"As a nation, we are saddened by the loss of Don Mattera’s eloquent, rousing and revolutionary voice for justice. The 86-year-old legend passed away on Monday. The 86-year-old legend passed away on Monday.

Messages of condolences have started pouring after the passing of Anti-Apartheid Activist, Don Mattera on Monday. The Mattera family has described Don Mattera ...

“Don Mattera was a very strong freedom fighter and anti-apartheid activist, a community activist but also from that he rose to become a national figure in the struggle against apartheid, against colonialism but also Don Mattera was an educationist. Besides being a journalist, he also worked tirelessly in communities to train young people in the arts and poetry. National Poet Laureate of South Africa Professor Mongane Wally Serote worked closely with Don Mattera over the years. He was very dedicated in wanting to see children better.” He conscientised us as young stars, through his poems. Gaynolina Mattera was speaking outside the family home in Protea North, Soweto.

Tributes continue to pour in for South African poet, author, and anti-apartheid activist Omaruddin “Don” Mattera who died on Monday aged 87.

As we observe International Nelson #MandelaDay, we remember Bra Don as a patriot, who in the spirit of this commemorative day, did what he could, with what he had, where he was. He helped to form the Union of Black Journalists and the Congress of South African Writers. “Don Mattera was the last breed of what can be known as revolutionary journalism because he used his craft to fight against the denigration of African people. We are saddened by the loss of Don Mattera’s eloquent, rousing & revolutionary voice for justice. Also expressing his sadness, President Cyril Ramaphosa said: “As a nation, we are saddened by the loss of Don Mattera’s eloquent, rousing and revolutionary voice for justice. Mattera was banned by the Apartheid government between 1973 and 1982 and was under house arrest for over three years,” said Thambo. He resigned from public exhibitions in 2004.” “He continued working with the homeless children in Eldorado Park. It must never be forgotten that Mattera was also a freedom fighter. “Mattera’s contribution to literature will be remembered long after his passing. His death came a day after the burial of another apartheid stalwart, ANC deputy secretary-general Jesse Duarte, who was laid to rest on Sunday also at the Westpark Cemetery. “We share this moment of deep loss with his family, close friends, and comrades. As we observe International Nelson Mandela Day, we remember Bra Don as a patriot, who in the spirit of this commemorative day, did what he could, with what he had, where he was.

The iconic poet and author Don Mattera was laid to rest at the West Park Cemetery in Johannesburg on Monday night, according to Muslim rites.

Mattera was laid to rest at the West Park Cemetery in Johannesburg on Monday night, according to Muslim rites. While Mattera has been laid to rest at the West Park Cemetery tributes continue to pour in for the poetry giant. The iconic poet and author Don Mattera was laid to rest at the West Park Cemetery in Johannesburg on Monday night, according to Muslim rites.

Lester Kiewit chats to poet, Diana Ferrus, about Don Mattera following his passing.

You pick your nose when you think nobody is watching. Read More Read More

Don Mattera has died. He fired my imagination at the start of a difficult and fractured career as a journalist, and helped me remake myself over and again ...

Although I never told him, it was because of his earliest inspiration that Don Mattera forced me to always remake myself, over and again, driven, as I always am, by my greatest fear. I hold on to my memories of Mattera with greater emphasis than I do the mundane, and the monotony, the absurdity of life. We were meant to remember Nelson Mandela on Monday. I remembered Don Mattera. Through his wisdom, I came to believe that I am that which I made of myself. Memory can be approached with indifference and abuse, or it can fire up the imagination with intentional consequences; you know what you do and know what to do next because of memory… And so memory has the power to weave the present, the past and the future into something meaningful — something less absurd than life. It was no longer the day on which we celebrated the life and wisdom of Nelson Mandela. It was the day that Don Mattera died. Don Mattera inspired my intellect and urge to write. During the 1980s and early 1990s, I would periodically climb into my battered car and visit Mattera to listen to him speak. Away from the clatter of keyboards or the clicks of cameras, I would always find a stillness with Don Mattera. I listened more than said anything. I awoke at some point; it was dark and I did not know the time, and I read that Jessie Duarte had died. They have yet to understand, fully, the relationship between subjectivity, the past and intentionality. I sat down to write on a topic I should know about with some measure of confidence, but barely managed to let it hang together.