Johannesburg -
Literary giant and award-winning author Andre Brink will be remembered for his contribution to the fight against apartheid, the Democratic Alliance said on Saturday.
“He will be remembered for his contribution to the fight against apartheid and for highlighting contemporary social issues in democratic South Africa through his writing,” spokesman Marius Redelinghuys said.
“On behalf of the DA, I send condolences to his friends and family and wish them strength in this difficult time.”
Netwerk24 reported that Brink died on Friday night at the age of 79.
He was aboard a flight from the Netherlands to Cape Town at the time.
He was returning from Belgium after receiving an honorary doctorate.
“I can just say that the family are all heartbroken,” his ex-wife Alta Brink was quoted as saying.
Redelinghuys said Brink was one of the key figures in the Afrikaans literary movement known as Die Sestigers (The Sixty-ers).
“These writers used Afrikaans as a language to speak out against the apartheid government,” he said.
“Prof Brink was also the proud author of the first Afrikaans novel to be banned by the apartheid government.”
Sapa