(poet, writer. publisher, activist)
white man
seated in your luxurious pad
walls illuminated with the glory of
nina simone, josh white and miriam makeba
you say that you are my soul brother
paying homage to the songs,sung by
singers singing the bitter blues brought on
by gut-clawing, soul-searing, castrating white laws
and you tell me that you are my soul brother
when the hypocrisy of your pious double-talk
of sharing my pain and plight sickens me
white man
get lost and go screw yourself
you have long-gone lost your soul
Celebrated poet and activist James Matthews died on the 7th of September 2024. He was 95 years old. James Matthews was born into a working-class family in District Six, Cape Town, on May 29, 1929. He attended Prestwich Primary School before moving on to Trafalgar High School in the city.
After completing his education, Matthews held various jobs, including newspaper boy, office messenger, clerk, and telephonist. He began his writing career at the age of 17 in 1946, eventually becoming a journalist and contributing to several national publications like the Golden City Post, Cape Times, and Drum, as well as the independent community newspaper, The Muslim News.
In 1972, his first poetry collection, “Cry Rage,” co-authored with Gladys Thomas, was published but subsequently banned by the apartheid government, marking it as the first poetry collection to face such action; many of his later works faced similar restrictions. In 1976, he was detained by the authorities and was denied a passport for 13 years.
He initially concentrated on writing short stories, which appeared in various magazines, including Hi-Note and Drum. His work was also featured in the anthology Quartet (1963), edited by acclaimed South African author Richard Rive. His short story collection Azikwelwa (1962) gained international attention and was later republished in South Africa as The Park and Other Stories (1983). Matthews also authored an autobiographical novel, The Party is Over (1997), first published in German in 1986. By the 1970s, his creative focus shifted predominantly to poetry, for which he is now best known. Notable collections include Cry Rage (1972), Pass Me a Meatball, Jones (1977), No Time for Dreams (1981), and Poisoned Wells and Other Delights (1990). His early poetry, shaped by themes of political resistance and dissidence, reflects a profound self-awareness influenced by Black Consciousness. His poetry after 1994 largely centres on the social issues that preoccupied him, including poverty, marginalisation, and the racial and social exclusion perpetuated by the new government, along with its excesses and xenophobia. Themes of ageing and mortality also feature prominently, as reflected in his collections Flames and Flowers (2000), Age is a Beautiful Phase (2008), and Gently Stirs my Soul (2015).
He established Gallery Afrique in 1972, the first black-founded art gallery in South Africa, and BLAC (Black Literature Arts and Culture), the first black-owned publishing house, which operated from 1974 until 1991 before ceasing due to ongoing government harassment. In 2000, he started a new publishing house called Realities.
James Matthews gained international recognition early in his career. In the United States, he received the Woza Afrika Award (1978), was included in the Kwaza Honours List (1979), and was awarded a Writing Fellowship at the University of Iowa. In Germany, he was honored with the Freedom of the cities of Lehrte and Nuremberg. In 2004, he was honored with the National Order of Ikhamanga for:
His outstanding contributions to literature, journalism, and his inspiring dedication to the fight for a non-racial South Africa.
In 2022, the Department of Arts and Culture celebrated him as “A Living Human Legend.”