It was with sorrow that I heard yesterday of Breyten Breytenbach’s passing. The esteemed Afrikaans writer, poet, painter and activist was Gondwana’s guest at Etosha Safari Lodge & Camp seven years ago. We filmed him on the deck of the lodge against the backdrop of the verdant mopane forest. One of the questions we asked him was how a person moves from being imprisoned to someone who inspires the masses. His reply included concepts like dignity and tolerating the diversity in one self and in others, an ethos which Gondwana believes in and embraces. He spoke of ‘saam mekaar anders maak’ – together we can make a difference.
It's surprising how Life comes full circle. I heard the news at Etosha Safari Camp where we are presently filming ‘One Love’, Bob Marley’s famous Reggae song, for Valentine’s Day next year. It is so apt. Remembering Breytenbach swaying gently to the melodies and music in Etosha Safari Camp’s courtyard, I pay my respects to him today, to a life well-lived. Although he was incarcerated in 1975 for advocating for a more equal existence in South Africa, he continued to write poetry, returning to France and his family in 1982 to live out a life of love, honed from a time of introspection and hardship. He was one of the men, like Toiva ya Toiva and Madiba, who when released used their lives to make a difference, putting negativity and bitterness behind them. When he visited us in Namibia with his lovely wife, he exuded peace and well-being, his intellect and composure radiating from him. The words ‘Peace perfect peace’, which are inscribed on Agnes Hill’s gravestone in the Gondwana Canyon Park, are words that seem a fitting tribute for him.
When we asked him the important question of how someone moves forward from incarceration to inspiration, he smiled warmly and said that if we ask him a day after his death, he might have a better answer, when he couldn’t do any more to make the world a better place. So I know, that a day after his death, he would smile warmly and widely knowing that ‘The Undivided Band’ and ‘The Etosha Boys’ are singing ‘One love, one heart’, let’s get together and feel alright’.
He made such a big impression on me. I remember his words clearly, mirroring my own beliefs, that we can use our diversity, moving together to create a vibrant, loveable, just and beautiful society.
We send our heartfelt condolences to his wife and family.
Rest in peace, Breyten Breytenbach, and thank you for shining your light on the world. We wish you ‘Peace, perfect peace’.