Sanef mourns the death of journalist, broadcaster and poet Sandile Dikeni who hails from the Karoo hamlet of Victoria West.
According to his sister Nomonde, Dikeni who hails from the Karoo hamlet of Victoria West, died on Saturday, after an on-off battle with TB.
Well known for his poems, such as “Guava Juice” and “The Spear”, Dikeni inspired crowds in their numbers during the struggle against Apartheid. Later, he was appointed the arts editor of the Cape Times and editor of Die Suid-Afrikaan and he was a political editor for This Day SA. He once served as the spokesperson for the South African Minister of Housing.
Dikeni studied law at Wits and UWC where he was on the SRC, and later graduated with a National Diploma of Journalism from Pentech (today called Cape Peninsula University of Technology, CPUT).
According to Ruby Marks – who was a student with Dikeni at UWC, Dikeni was commonly known as the “Child of the Karoo, beacon of the oppressed, and poet of the People”.
The news of his untimely death has shocked many in the media fraternity as it has taken place soon after the burial of seasoned broadcaster Xolani Gwala this weekend.
Dikeni’s friends remember him as a journalist who reflected the zeitgeist of South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle, who went on to write about this country’s difficult transition into democracy working for the TRC and bore witness to all that remained and still must be resolved.
SANEF sends condolences to the families, friends and political struggle compatriots of Mr Dikeni. He will be sorely missed.
For more information contact
Janet Heard – SANEF Western Cape SANEF Convenor, 0780419528
Mary Papayya – SANEF Media Freedom, Acting Chair – 082 379 4957
Hopewell Radebe – SANEF Acting Gauteng Regional Convenor 083 582 1734
Kate Skinner – SANEF Executive Director – 082 926 6404