Bartho Smit

Bartho Smit was a notable South African playwright whose work contributed to the development of Afrikaans drama. He was part of the "Sestigers" (Writers of the '60s) movement, which explored experimental forms and addressed existential themes, often in dissatisfaction with apartheid and the authoritarian aspects of Afrikaner society. Smit's plays, such as Moeder Hanna (1959) and Putsonderwater (1962), were acclaimed for their artistic merit and, in the case of Putsonderwater, for their political message, which led to its performance being banned. His contributions, alongside other playwrights like N.P. van Wyk Louw and D.J. Opperman, helped elevate Afrikaans drama, though often drawing on classical themes or contemporary social issues.12