Breyten Breytenbach, one of South Africa’s most celebrated poets and a fierce critic of apartheid, has died in Paris, his family has announced.

The Afrikaans writer, who spent seven years in prison for his anti-apartheid activities, died on Sunday at the age of 85.

Breytenbach was arrested in 1975 during a secret visit to South Africa after being accused of helping Nelson Mandela’s then-banned African National Congress (ANC).

His most famous work, “Confessions of an Albino Terrorist,” detailed his imprisonment and the events leading to his arrest.

“He fearlessly addressed themes of exile, identity and justice,” his family said in a statement.

Born in Western Cape province in 1939, Breytenbach later moved to Paris but maintained strong ties to his homeland through his writing and activism.

Despite writing primarily in Afrikaans – the language of South Africa’s white rulers – he became known for his opposition to the apartheid system of racial segregation.

He was a member of Okhela, an ideological wing of the ANC in exile, combining his literary work with political activism.

Background: Afrikaans literature played a complex role in South African culture, with some writers like Breytenbach using it to challenge the apartheid system while others supported it.

He is survived by his wife Yolande, daughter Daphnée and two grandsons.