Renowned playwright Athol Fugard dies, aged 92

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Renowned South African playwright, actor and director Athol Fugard has died at his Stellenbosch home after a long illness.

John Kani, the actor with whom he achieved much success, shared: “I am deeply saddened by the passing of my dear friend Athol Fugard. May his soul rest in eternal peace. Elder.”

Named the greatest active playwright in the English-speaking world by Time magazine in 1989, the Eastern Cape-born Fugard wrote about the dawning of his political awareness of the destructive forces of apartheid on humaneness and about the resilience of ordinary people. He grew up poor with his mother being the family of five’s breadwinner, running a Gqeberha boarding house, and later a tea room in the then popular St George’s Park that provided the setting for one of his most popular plays, Master Harold … and the Boys (1982).

He shot to fame internationally with Blood Knot (1961). Other well-known works include Boesman and Lena (1969), Sizwe Banzi is Dead (1972), The Island (1972), Tsotsi (1980) and The Road to Mecca (1984).

Fugard’s first marriage to actress and novelist Sheila Meiring, with whom he had daughter Lisa, ended after more than five decades. His daughter, who moved to the US in 1980, is also a writer. Fugard returned to South Africa after a stint in the US. 

He had developed a substantial following there and was a recipient of the Tony award for lifetime achievement. In its citation, the years of government harassment of the family was remembered. They came under surveillance; their mail was opened, their phones tapped, and their home subjected to midnight police searches. His plays were banned and his passport was withdrawn.

Fugard celebrated his 92nd birthday in June last year with his second wife, academic and playwright Paula Fourie, with whom he had two children, Halle and Lanigan.

The Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal commended “his incredible contribution to South African theatre,” adding: “His plays will be a lasting legacy for generations of South Africans.”

Khwerha Ye Afrika Projects said Fugard’s departure leaves an irreplaceable void in the world of theatre.

“Your legacy will forever illuminate the path for generations to come. You were not just a playwright, you were a fearless storyteller, a custodian of truth, and a voice for the silenced. Through your words, you challenged injustice, exposed the raw realities of apartheid, and gave dignity to those who had been marginalised.

“Your plays were acts of defiance, beacons of change, and mirrors reflecting the soul of a nation in turmoil. You taught us that theatre is not merely entertainment but a powerful instrument of social transformation. South Africa’s artistic landscape was shaped by your courage, your unyielding belief in the power of storytelling, and your commitment to justice. The world watched, listened, and learnt through your work. You gave theatre a conscience, and for that, we are eternally grateful.”