“We have lost an icon in the literary and arts fraternity. Don’s passing will leave a literary void, not just here at home but globally.
“We are still celebrating Mattera’s receipt and the unveiling of the star at the entrance of The Joburg Theatre which celebrated 60 years at the weekend and now he is gone,” Jeftha said.
The foundation expressed condolences at the death of a father, a husband, grandfather and great-grandfather.
He will be buried according to Muslim rites on Monday.
City of Johannesburg speaker Vasco da Gama was among the first to send condolences to the family.
“Mattera was a renowned award-winning SA poet, community activist, former journalist and musician with an enviable life story.”
He was a man of great reputation in SA and was respected widely for his work in activism and for fighting for the rights of the underprivileged during the apartheid era.
“His legacy will live on in the foundation he created for the communities of Westbury, Ennerdale, Bosmont and Eldorado Park.”
Mattera worked as a journalist for the Sunday Times, the Sowetan and the Weekly Mail.
He was a renowned motivational speaker and had been awarded an honorary doctorate in literature (DLitt) from the University of Natal. He also received fellowships from Sweden and America.
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Award-winning poet, author, journalist and community activist Don Mattera dies
Image: Thapelo Morebudi
Award-winning poet, author, journalist and community activist Don Mattera died at the age of 87 on Monday.
Greg Mattera, his eldest son, confirmed that his father — who was recovering after a medical check-up at One Military Hospital in Pretoria a few weeks ago — died peacefully at his home in Protea Glen.
Jenny Jeftha, the chair of the Don Mattera Legacy Foundation — who is entrusted with the preservation of Mattera’s literary works and legacy — said the news came as a shock.
WATCH: 'Your death, Joe Mafela, is not good, is not nice' - heartfelt poem from Don Mattera
“We have lost an icon in the literary and arts fraternity. Don’s passing will leave a literary void, not just here at home but globally.
“We are still celebrating Mattera’s receipt and the unveiling of the star at the entrance of The Joburg Theatre which celebrated 60 years at the weekend and now he is gone,” Jeftha said.
The foundation expressed condolences at the death of a father, a husband, grandfather and great-grandfather.
He will be buried according to Muslim rites on Monday.
City of Johannesburg speaker Vasco da Gama was among the first to send condolences to the family.
“Mattera was a renowned award-winning SA poet, community activist, former journalist and musician with an enviable life story.”
He was a man of great reputation in SA and was respected widely for his work in activism and for fighting for the rights of the underprivileged during the apartheid era.
“His legacy will live on in the foundation he created for the communities of Westbury, Ennerdale, Bosmont and Eldorado Park.”
Mattera worked as a journalist for the Sunday Times, the Sowetan and the Weekly Mail.
He was a renowned motivational speaker and had been awarded an honorary doctorate in literature (DLitt) from the University of Natal. He also received fellowships from Sweden and America.
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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