The University of the Western Cape is mourning the death of Dr Diana Ferrus, the celebrated poet and cultural icon who died on Friday 30 January.
Dr Ferrus was renowned for her powerful poetry that addressed social justice and healing, most notably her poem “I’ve Come to Take You Home”, written for Sarah Baartman. The work played a meaningful role in the return of Baartman’s remains to South Africa and demonstrated what the university called “the transformative force of art”.
Academic and mentor at UWC
As both an alumna and staff member of the University of the Western Cape, Dr Ferrus dedicated herself to nurturing students and mentoring emerging writers. She championed voices from marginalised communities and was particularly committed to supporting grassroots writers, women poets, and community storytelling.
Writing in both English and Afrikaans, she bridged cultures and celebrated South Africa’s multilingual heritage through her work.
The university described Dr Ferrus as “more than a poet” – calling her “a moral compass, a voice for the silenced, and a healer who transformed pain into purpose through language”.
Her poem about Sarah Baartman helped shift global consciousness and showed that “poetry is not only expression, but action – a catalyst for justice, memory, and reconciliation”, according to the university’s tribute.
Dr Ferrus’s family remembered her not only as a celebrated public figure, but as “a deeply loving mother, sister, aunt, and friend” whose “warmth, humour, generosity, and compassion touched countless lives beyond the literary world”.
Professor Robert John Balfour, the university’s Rector and Vice-Chancellor, said: “We honour her legacy and recommit ourselves to the values she embodied – justice, empathy, creativity, courage, and hope.”
In a poetic tribute, he added: “Rest in peace, Diana. Your words still walk amongst us. Your voice still guides us. Your spirit still sings.”
