Minister Anroux Marais mourns the passing of Jeanne Goosen | Western Cape Government

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Minister Anroux Marais mourns the passing of Jeanne Goosen

4 June 2020

It is with great sadness that we heard of the death of the Afrikaans writer, Jeanne Goosen.

Jeanne was one of our country’s most iconic writers, who broke through boundaries with her acclaimed work “Ons is nie almal so nie”. This was an important text in voicing the emotional damage that was imprinted on many South Africans by the apartheid system.

Minister Marais said, “While Jeanne certainly marched to her own drum, she was an important voice in speaking up for those who had their rights violated – she wrote about the experiences of women in a time when they were seen as silent voices in the background. With the publishing of her first poetry anthology in 1971, Jeanne was one of a handful of women writers to publish in Afrikaans, and she paved the way for generations of women to publish their own work in a previously male-dominated environment. Jeanne was passionate about a variety of topics and explored the mysteries of the natural world, as well as human emotions, in her writing”

Her contribution to literature in our country is immeasurable, and we are grateful for the words that she left for us. Her legacy will live on for many years to come.

We express our heartfelt condolences to Jeanne’s family, friends and literary family, who will surely miss her unique character and warmth of spirit.

Media Enquiries: 

Stacy McLean

Spokesperson to Minister Anroux Marais   

083 504 1171