• President Cyril Ramaphosa paid tribute to late author and political activist Achmat Dangor. 
• Dangor died on Sunday at the age of 71.
• Ramaphosa said Dangor would be remembered for powerful and inspired writing that gave a voice to the voiceless. 

President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the death of acclaimed author and political activist Achmat Dangor as "a loss to the literary, arts and culture fraternity and the country at large".

Dangor died on Sunday at the age of 71.

"Achmat Dangor was born into a family whose members have played a leading role in this country's history and development. I convey my deepest sympathies to the family who have lost a son, a brother and a father," Ramaphosa said.

Dangor became involved in the liberation struggle in his youth and played a leading role in mobilising the literary fraternity against apartheid and promoting protest writing by black authors, locally and internationally.

He was one of the founders of the Congress of South African Writers (Cosaw) and published a number of novels and short story collections. He was the recipient of the Herman Charles Bosman Prize and in 2004, his novel Bitter Fruit was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

READ | Author and activist Achmat Dangor dies aged 71

"Among the many lessons we draw from his life is the importance of supporting the arts and culture as key pillars of a country's development; as well as the role of artists as our national conscience," Ramaphosa said.

After the end of apartheid, Dangor was active in civil society and headed the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund and the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

"Achmat Dangor will be remembered for powerful and inspired writing that gave a voice to the voiceless and captured the bitter conditions under which our people suffered," Ramaphosa said.

Dangor will be buried in accordance with Muslim rites.

"We honour him for his sterling contribution. May he be granted Jannatul Firdous (paradise)," Ramaphosa said.

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