SA Heritage Centre
President Cyril Ramaphosa has joined South Africans in paying tribute to well-known author, poet, and activist, Donato “Don” Materra, who has died at the age of 87.
The Presidency says Mattera was a widely acclaimed and respected political and cultural activist and journalist who received numerous acknowledgments nationally, continentally, and internationally.
President Ramaphosa said: “As a nation, we are saddened by the loss of Don Mattera’s eloquent, rousing and revolutionary voice for justice.
“As we observe International Nelson Mandela Day, we remember Bra Don as a patriot, who in the spirit of this commemorative day, did what he could, with what he had, where he was.”
In his tribute, ActionSA President Herman Mashaba said it must “never be forgotten that Mattera was also a freedom fighter.”
“His involvement in the politics of ‘Black Consciousness’ began in the 1970s when helped form the Union of Black Journalists and the Congress of South African Writers.
“He was banned by the Apartheid government from 1973 to 1982 in light of political exercises,” Mashaba added.
