As readers of this blog will know, Leopard’s Leap Wines is a staunch supporter of literature in South Africa. At the recent Afrikaans festival in Holland, the Afrikaanse Skrywersunie (Afrikaans Writers Union) called on international writers to voice their opposition to the South African government’s proposed Protection of Information Bill.
Speaking from the stage at the festival, prominent Afrikaans writer and poet Breyten Breytenbach (pictured above) said for the first time since Apartheid, South African writers are being threatened by state censorship.
Currently legislation is being proposed that would control media and publishing content, and this legislation will have far-reaching effects for writers criticising South African politics or politicians, he said.
The Afrikaanse Skrywersunie – which is made up of emanate Afrikaans writers, publishers and academics – would endeavour to raise awareness about and speak out against the “draconian legislation”, Breytenbach said.
In addition to calling on support from international writers, the Afrikaanse Skrywersunie would mobilize local Afrikaans writers to publicly speak out against censorship.