Mourning Diana Ferrus: The iconic voice who brought Sarah Baartman home dies at 72

The literary world and cultural activists across South Africa are mourning the passing of Diana Ferrus, the legendary poet and activist who died on Friday at the age of 72.

Ferrus is perhaps best known for her profoundly impactful poem, "I’ve Come to Take You Home." 
The work was dedicated to Sarah Baartman and played a pivotal role in the repatriation of Baartman’s remains. In 2002, Ferrus personally accompanied the remains back to South African soil after they had been kept in France for 192 years.

Fellow poet and colleague Danie Marais described Ferrus as a hero, noting that her influence extended far beyond the page.

"Wonderful human being, an important poet, and an icon to many with good reason," Marais said. "What I always thought was such a powerful and rare combination with her is that she was kind, open and generous, but at the same time unwavering in her activism and in the things she stood for."

Beyond her activism for Baartman, Marais highlighted Ferrus’s significant role in reshaping the narrative surrounding the Afrikaans language.

She was a key contributor to the documentary series Stories of Afrikaans, a project designed to debunk long-standing mythologies and misconceptions about the language's history.

"She read her poem My Name Is February again, and it was such a powerful moment in the first episode," Marais recalled. "To me, she was a hero, and a wonderful person to be around at poetry events. She will be bitterly missed."