SA poet, writer and anti-apartheid activist Don Mattera laid to rest at Heroes Acre in Westpark Cemetery

SOUTH African literary giant and anti-apartheid activist, Don Mattera, has been laid to rest at the Heroes Acre in Westpark Cemetery in Johannesburg.

Mattera was buried in accordance with Islamic rites.

The journalist, writer, and activist died on Monday following a long illness at the age of 87. He was admitted to hospital in December after a suspected stroke.

In a statement on Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that Mattera was a widely acclaimed and respected political, cultural activist and a journalist who received numerous acknowledgments nationally, continentally and internationally.

“He was an Esteemed Member of the Order of the Baobab (in Gold) which he was awarded in 2006 for his “excellent contribution to literature, achievement in the field of journalism and striving for democracy and justice in South Africa,” said Ramaphosa.

“As a nation we are saddened by the loss of Don Mattera’s eloquent, rousing and revolutionary voice for