President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his deep condolences following the passing of writer, storyteller and cultural activist, Dr Diana Ferrus, who has passed away at the age of 72.

In a statement on Monday, President Ramaphosa said his thoughts and prayers were with the family, friends and associates of the late poet who in 1998 penned the persuasive poem, A Poem for Sarah Baartman.

The poem is credited with being instrumental in the return to South Africa from France of the mortal remains of Sarah Baartman, an Eastern Cape citizen who had been taken to Europe in the 19th century to be dehumanised and exploited as an exhibit.

Dr Ferrus was a writer who published works in Afrikaans and English and taught and empowered emerging writers to articulate protest and social commentary.

President Ramaphosa said that a remarkable voice had gone silent.

"Diana Ferrus was a creative stalwart whose profound understanding of the human condition and the all-encompassing injustices of apartheid inspired her way with words. She was a patriot who painted our nation in prose that awakened us to the essence of our humanity.

"No-one could remain unaffected by her insight, her deep appreciation of our nation's cultural and natural endowments, or her demands for justice and the restoration of the dignity of a dispossessed and disempowered people.

"May Diana's soul rest in the peace to which she invited Sarah Baartman in her landmark poem," the President said. - SAnews.gov.za