Frank Chikane
Frank Chikane 2014
Born	(1951-01-03)3 January 1951 (age 74) Bushbuckridge,Transvaal,South Africa
Education	Naledi High School
Alma mater	University of the North Harvard Kennedy School
Occupations	Civil servant Writer Cleric
Political party	African National Congress
Spouse	Kagiso Chikane ​ (m. 1980)​
Children	Obakeng Chikane Otlile Chikane Rekgotsofetse Chikane

Frank Chikane (born 3 January 1951 inBushbuckridge,Transvaal) is a South African civil servant, writer and cleric. He is a member of theAfrican National Congress and moderator of the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs for theWorld Council of Churches (WCC).^[1]

Chikane was born to James and Erenia Chikane and he grew up inSoweto attendingNaledi High School.^[2] As the son of a preacher in theApostolic Faith Mission of South Africa (AFM), a South AfricanPentecostal church, Chikane was able to receive an education. After finishing high school, Chikane attended theUniversity of the North to study sciences in hopes of becoming a physician. While at the university, Chikane became involved in theBlack Consciousness Movement, also known as theStephen Biko movement, and metCyril Ramaphosa, who went on to become a post-apartheid South African President, and others.

Chikane led protests at the university against apartheid, which resulted in his leaving the university without a degree in 1975.

In early 1977, while working in the AFM as a layman, he was detained for a month under theTerrorism Act No 83 of 1967 but was eventually released after a judge dismissed his case. Chikane was eventually ordained by the church in 1980, when he began advocating social programs such as a soup kitchen and adult education within the church for its primarily African population.

For these actions, Chikane was suspended from the conservative minded AFM in 1981, which would last until his reinstatement in 1990. After suspension from the AFM, Chikane joined the Institute for Contextual Theology, a Christian think-tank inside theSouth African Council of Churches (SACC), which promotedliberation Theology; he became general secretary of SACC in 1987. On 20 August 1983 theUnited Democratic Front was launched in the community hall inRocklands, nearCape Town. After a conference of delegates from 565 organisations (400 were already members), a public rally was held, attended by about 10,000 people. Chikane, who was the first major speaker, called the day "a turning point in the struggle for freedom". In 1985, Chikane was one of the leading promoters of theKairos Document, a leading Christian denunciation of apartheid.

In late 1989, agents of the apartheid government attempted toassassinate Chikane by lacing his underwear withParaoxon. Two of the suspects were former Police MinisterAdriaan Vlok and his then-police chief Johan van der Merwe. Each of them received suspended 10-year prison sentences. Vlok sought forgiveness from Rev. Chikane in 2006 by washing his feet.^[3][4][5]

From 1987 to 1994, Chikane was secretary general of the SACC. In 1995, he earned amaster of public administration from theHarvard Kennedy School. From 1997 on, Chikane has been a member of theAfrican National Congress' National Executive Committee. Since 1999, Chikane has been the Director General^[6] of thepresidency of South Africa underThabo Mbeki. He was also a consulting advisor for PresidentsKgalema Motlanthe andJacob Zuma. He is currently the President of AFM International, an international religious body formed to promote the image of the Apostolic Faith Mission worldwide and to coordinate fellowship between AFM national churches in all countries.

In July 2010, Chikane published a series of eight articles which served as a memoir of his time in government and detailed what happened behind the scenes within theANC and government during the removal ofThabo Mbeki as South African President in September 2008 and the shaky transition that followed.^[7] The articles appeared in several Independent newspapers and were dubbed "The Chikane Files". In March 2012, Chikane's bookEight Days in September: The Removal of Thabo Mbeki was published along the same theme, as well as exploring Mbeki's legacy.

• Chikane, Frank (1988).No Life of My Own. Johannesburg: Skotaville Publishers. ISBN 9780796009244.
• Chikane, Frank (2011).Eight Days in September: The Removal of Thabo Mbeki. Johannesburg: Picador Africa. ISBN 9781770101210.
• Chikane, Frank (2013).The Things that Could Not be Said. Johannesburg: Picador Africa. ISBN 9781770102255.

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• Biography on DACB.com

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