Independent Newspapers

Veteran playwright Athol Fugard, 78, has said he feels betrayed and disillusioned by the direction his native country is heading.

Veteran playwright Athol Fugard, 78, has lashed out at President Jacob Zuma’s government for the high level of corruption and has said he feels “betrayed” and disillusioned by the direction his native country is heading.

He expressed his strong views in a frank interview – which has made headlines in British newspapers – with a podcast website www.theatrevoice.com.

He was talking before the UK premiere of his latest play, The Train Driver, at Hampstead Theatre.

Fugard, born in Middelburg in the Eastern Cape, was a key figure in the cultural struggle against apartheid and has often been referred to “the conscience of his country”.

In the interview he said: “In a sense we have got to start again. It’s a very fluid – and a very volatile situation in South Africa. On my side there’s a sense of betrayal. Men who I thought would stand up and speak out against the degree of corruption and everything that’s going wrong… simply concern themselves with getting richer.”

Fugard said: “When I think of the moment when Nelson Mandela came out of jail, and when I think of that day I stood in a queue a mile long under a blazing sun to cast my vote in our first free general election… when I think of that day and the euphoria that swept through the country that we were going to really get it right and turn our back on the appalling past and be a truly open democratic society with compassion and a sense of justice – that’s not the case.”

Veteran playwright and theatre director Nicholas Ellenbogen described Fugard’s comments as “naive”.

He said Fugard, who is now based in California although he still has a house in the Eastern Cape, had been out of the country was not fully aware of what was going on.

Author Zakes Mda said there was nothing new or even specific in Fugard’s “lambast”. He was not pointing out any specific problem.

“Playwrights, young and old, cannot be prescribed to by Mr Fugard about what to write or not to write.” - Weekend Argus