Meet Frank Chikane: South African cleric and anti-apartheid activist
Reverend Frank Chikane has been an influential figure in South Africa's religious and political spheres for over five decades. He played a key role in rebuilding the country after the fall of apartheid while serving under Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki's administrations.
Having been in the presidency from the time of Mandela to that of Zuma, I am one of the privileged few who has seen it all, rather than hearing it via the grapevine.
Source: UGC
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Key takeaways
- Frank Chikane mobilized the church against the apartheid regime while serving as Secretary General of the South African Council of Churches.
- He faced persecution, with multiple detentions and an assassination attempt by top apartheid security officials.
- The Reverend served as the Director General during Thabo Mbeki's regime and was appointed the head of the ANC Integrity Commission in 2023.
Frank Chikane's profile summary
| Full name | Reverend Frank Chikane |
| Date of birth | January 3, 1951 |
| Age | 74 years old (as of April 2025) |
| Place of birth | Orlando West, Soweto, South Africa |
| Current residence | Midrand, Gauteng |
| Marital status | Married |
| Wife | Mme Kagiso Chikane (1980 to date) |
| Children | Obakeng Chikane, Otlile Chikane, Rekgotsofetse Chikane |
| Parents | Sophania Erenia Chikane, James Mashi Chikane |
| Siblings | Six, including Thabile, Abbey, and Kgotso Chikane |
| Education | University of the North (Science – dropped out)Harvard Kennedy School (Master of Public Administration)University of KwaZulu-Natal (Master of Theology)University of Groningen in the Netherlands (Doctor of Theology)Orlando High School in Soweto |
| Profession | Author, cleric, civil servant, political activist |
| Political party | African National Congress (ANC) |
| Social media | X (Twitter)LinkedIn |
Reverend Frank Chikane grew up in Soweto
Frank was born to Sophania Erenia and James Mashi Chikane. His father was a pastor at the Apostolic Faith Mission in Naledi, Soweto. He was raised alongside his six siblings.
The Chikane siblings made headlines in 2020 over a property inheritance dispute. Thabile accused her brothers of denying her access to their family home in Tladi, Soweto. The dispute was taken before the Gauteng High Court in early 2023.
Source: Original
Chikane played a significant role in anti-apartheid activism
Reverend Frank became politically active in the early 1970s while attending the University of the North (Turfloop). He was part of the South African Student Organization and the Black Consciousness Movement.
Chikane joined the United Democratic Front in the early 1980s, serving as its vice president in the Transvaal region between 1983 and 1985. He was charged with treason in 1985 but was never prosecuted.
Source: Getty Images
Frank was also active in the church, using his influence to call out the evils of the apartheid regime. In 1987, he succeeded Dr. Beyers Naude as Secretary-General of the South African Council of Churches (SACC).
In 1989, Chikane survived an assassination attempt by nerve toxin poisoning from senior apartheid security officials. In 2007, five accused officials, including former Police Minister Adriaan Vlok and his police chief Johan van der Merwe, pleaded guilty to planning to kill Frank.
Source: Getty Images
Frank Chikane's post-apartheid politics
After SA's first democratic elections in 1994, Frank was appointed the Director General in the office of then Deputy President Thabo Mbeki. In 1999, he became the DG in the office of the President, a position he held until 2009.
Chikane also served on the National Executive Committee of the ANC. In 2010, the Reverend sparked major controversy when he published a series of articles called The Chikane Files in independent local newspapers.
The articles highlighted the events surrounding the recall of former President Thabo Mbeki by the ANC in 2008. Frank faced backlash from within the ANC as party officials claimed the facts were distorted and cautioned the public not to take them as the gospel truth.
The Reverend wrote the book Eight Days in September: The Removal of Thabo Mbeki in 2012 and followed it with 'The Things That Could Not Be Said' in 2013. Chikane left the government in June 2009 after Jacob Zuma's ascension to the presidency.
Source: Getty Images
Frank Chikane remains active in the church and government
The Reverend took over the ANC's Integrity Commission in 2023 amid Ramaphosa's Phala Phala scandal. Since 2010, he has been serving as a Visiting Adjunct Professor in the Graduate School of Public and Development Management at Wits University.
In 2020, Frank stepped down as head of the Apostolic Faith Mission in Naledi, Soweto, after over four decades. According to Sowetan Live, Chikane said he will continue to minister while empowering the youth.
I am not retiring as a minister but as a pastor of a congregation and as a leader of my church internationally. I am still the moderator of the churches Commission on International Affairs of the World Council of churches. I'm dealing with conflict situations internationally.
Source: Getty Images
Frank Chikane's wife and three sons
Chikane married Mme Kagiso, an educator, in February 1980. The couple welcomed sons Obakeng, Otlile, and Rekgotsofetse. While celebrating 40 years of marriage in 2020, the cleric credited his wife for caring for the family when he was busy with political activism and the church.
Frank Chikane's sons are also active in politics. Rekgotsofetse was arrested in 2015 for his involvement in the Fees Must Fall university protests while studying at UCT. He went on to graduate from the University of Oxford with a Master of Public Policy.
Obakeng is a political activist with involvement in the regional executive committee of the ANC Youth League in Johannesburg. Frank Chikane's family is based in Midrand, Gauteng.
Source: UGC
Frank Chikane's journey from the pulpit to the frontlines of the anti-apartheid movement has shaped his legacy. The cleric continues to inspire the next generation in the fight against injustice and violation of human rights.
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Briefly.co.za highlighted the life and career of Mxolisi Dukwana. The South African politician taught in high school in the late 1980s and early 1990s before he left the teaching profession to work in government.
Dukwana has been active in Free State politics since the 1980s. He was elected the Provincial Legislature speaker in June 2024 after serving as premier for over a year.
Source: Briefly News
