{"id":95474,"date":"2026-02-08T15:42:41","date_gmt":"2026-02-08T15:42:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/poet-remembered-for-grounded-spirit-and-legacy"},"modified":"2026-02-08T16:18:51","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T16:18:51","slug":"poet-remembered-for-grounded-spirit-and-legacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/poet-remembered-for-grounded-spirit-and-legacy","title":{"rendered":"Poet Remembered for Grounded Spirit and Legacy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – South-Africa. <\/strong><\/span>Ferrus\u2019 brother, Jack Ferrus, said his sister was deeply passionate about heritage and culture, and firmly believed in the saying: \u201cYou need to know where you come from to know where you\u2019re going.\u201d<\/p>\n

Acclaimed poet and cultural activist Dr Diana Ferrus has been described as a people\u2019s person who kept her feet firmly on the ground, even as her literary work reached soaring heights and helped change the course of South Africa\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

Ferrus, best known for her iconic poem I\u2019ve Come to Take You Home, dedicated to Sara Baartman, died on Friday, January 30, 2026, at the age of 72.<\/p>\n

The poem played a pivotal role in the repatriation of Baartman\u2019s remains, which were returned to South Africa in 2002 after being displayed in a French museum for 192 years.<\/p>\n

After hearing the poem, French officials amended the country\u2019s legislation to allow South Africa to bring Baartman\u2019s remains home. Ferrus later joined the South African delegation that accompanied Baartman\u2019s remains back to the country.<\/p>\n

On Thursday night, the Elsies River High School hall was filled with Ferrus\u2019 family, friends, literary enthusiasts and those she had mentored, at an emotional memorial hosted by the Elsies River History Society.<\/p>\n

The Worcester-born Ferrus, who lived in Kuils River, made a lasting impact in Elsies River, where she hosted workshops and mentored young writers at the community library.Moving tributes were delivered by fellow poets, her family and those she had taken under her wing.<\/p>\n

Also in attendance was renowned poet, author and Elsies River High School teacher Nashville Blaauw. Blaauw, who was mentored by Ferrus, told mourners it was she who inspired him to research his family roots and discover his sense of identity.<\/p>\n

He said this journey led him to write poems and books about the Cape Flats, which were later translated into several languages, including Greek.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will never forget her. We don\u2019t want to forget her. We can never forget her. We need to accept her passing because we must take forward what she has left behind,\u201d Blaauw said.<\/p>\n

Prominent Elsies River spoken-word artist and poet Naidene Lottering said Ferrus had a profound impact on her life.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe exposed me to many circles where performance poetry was happening. Many people who came into the country to perform poetry began to see me. She was my mother. She took me in and held space for me,\u201d Lottering said.<\/p>\n

She shared that after she bought her house, it was Ferrus who purchased the front door.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy safety inside, and my safety outside. That\u2019s what she will always be to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lottering said she is inspired to continue Ferrus\u2019 legacy by mentoring other young, aspiring writers and poets.<\/p>\n

Ferrus\u2019 brother, Jack Ferrus, said his sister was deeply passionate about heritage and culture, and firmly believed in the saying: \u201cYou need to know where you come from to know where you\u2019re going.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ferrus\u2019 niece, Lanielle Hartzenberg, said her aunt\u2019s passion was evident in the countless poetry and writing workshops she facilitated.<\/p>\n

\u201cHer message was simple and radical: use your voice, write your story. Your life matters, your history matters. Do not let others write for you. You write your own story,\u201d Hartzenberg said.<\/p>\n

Ferrus will be laid to rest in her hometown of Worcester today, Saturday, 6 February 2026.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About South-Africa<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – South-Africa. Ferrus\u2019 brother, Jack Ferrus, said his sister was deeply passionate about heritage and culture, and firmly believed in the saying: \u201cYou need to know where you come from to know where you\u2019re going.\u201d Acclaimed poet and cultural activist Dr Diana Ferrus has been described as a people\u2019s person who kept her feet […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":95473,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[275],"class_list":["post-95474","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-community","tag-south-africa-2"],"yoast_head":"\nPoet Remembered for Grounded Spirit and Legacy - South Africa<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ferrus\u2019 brother, Jack Ferrus, said his sister was deeply passionate about heritage and culture, and firmly believed in t ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/poet-remembered-for-grounded-spirit-and-legacy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Poet Remembered for Grounded Spirit and Legacy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Ferrus\u2019 brother, Jack Ferrus, said his sister was deeply passionate about heritage and culture, and firmly believed in t ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/poet-remembered-for-grounded-spirit-and-legacy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"South Africa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-08T15:42:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-08T16:18:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/sites\/31\/2026\/02\/sm_1770554865.449923.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1152\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"648\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/poet-remembered-for-grounded-spirit-and-legacy#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/poet-remembered-for-grounded-spirit-and-legacy\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Poet Remembered for Grounded Spirit and Legacy\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-08T15:42:41+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-08T16:18:51+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/poet-remembered-for-grounded-spirit-and-legacy\"},\"wordCount\":570,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/poet-remembered-for-grounded-spirit-and-legacy#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/sites\/31\/2026\/02\/sm_1770554865.449923.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"South-Africa\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"community\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/poet-remembered-for-grounded-spirit-and-legacy#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/poet-remembered-for-grounded-spirit-and-legacy\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/poet-remembered-for-grounded-spirit-and-legacy\",\"name\":\"Poet Remembered for Grounded Spirit and Legacy - 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