South Africa mourns the passing of Beyers Naudé, apartheid struggle stalwart and Afrikaner cleric

Updated: 30 Sep 2019

Beyers Naudé, or Oom Bey, as he was affectionately known, passed away at 3:30 am on Tuesday morning 7 September 2004 at a retirement home in Johannesburg . He was 89 years old and his wife, Ilse, who is 92, was by his side. His health had been deteriorating over the past six months. Church leader and close friend Desmond Tutu said " Beyers helped Black people to not hate White people by showing them that not all White people are bad".

How we know this

01Africa News Service (2004), 'South Africa: Catholics Mourn Anti-Apartheid Campaigner', in the High Beam Business, 08 September,[online], Available at business.highbeam.com [Accessed: 06 September 2013]

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2011, March 16). South Africa mourns the passing of Beyers Naudé, apartheid struggle stalwart and Afrikaner cleric. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0013590

South African History Online (2011) 'South Africa mourns the passing of Beyers Naudé, apartheid struggle stalwart and Afrikaner cleric', South African History Online, 16 March. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0013590 (Accessed: 8 November 2026).

South African History Online, South Africa mourns the passing of Beyers Naudé, apartheid struggle stalwart and Afrikaner cleric [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0013590, (accessed 8 November 2026).

"South Africa mourns the passing of Beyers Naudé, apartheid struggle stalwart and Afrikaner cleric." South African History Online, 16 Mar. 2011, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0013590. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

South African History Online. "South Africa mourns the passing of Beyers Naudé, apartheid struggle stalwart and Afrikaner cleric." South African History Online. March 16, 2011. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0013590.