Sandile dikeni biography for kids

South African poet and editor (–)

Sandile Dikeni ( – 9 November ) was a South African poet and editor.

Online biography for kids The Johannesburg Review of Books. Initially he was known as a political poet but, after the democratic elections in , he moved steadily into themes of broader appeal. Copy Link. Yengeni is one of the many people in the ANC executive who stood by the TRC, knowing that certain issues about the ANC would be revealed in the most mocking and degrading way by their torturers.

Career

Dikeni was born in the small Karoo town of Victoria West and studied law at the University of the Witwatersrand and University of the Western Cape, where he was a member of the SRC and obtained a diploma in journalism through Peninsula Technikon.^[1] While detained by the apartheid government, he began writing poetry, and later performed at political rallies, and is quoted saying:

My point of fame wasn’t really how eloquently I could articulate an anti-apartheid stance in strict political terms.

It was more [a] cultural articulation of my anti-apartheidism.^[2]

After the end of apartheid, he worked as a journalist and political commentator, started the AM Live and PM Live radio shows at SAFM in ,^[3] and worked as arts editor for the Cape Times, editor of Die Suid Afrikaan and political editor of This Day.^[4]

Dikeni is the author of three collections of poems, including Guava Juice, (Mayibuye Books, ), which is followed by Telegraph to the Sky (UKZN Press, ) and Planting Water (UKZN Press, ).

He also published a collection of his articles from the Cape Times, Soul Fire: Writing the Transition (UKZN Press, ), and his essay 'How The West Was Lost' appeared in Chimurenga Kaapstad! And Jozi the Night Moses Died (July ).^[5] On 10 February , he recorded in collaboration with German composer Klaus Hinrich Stahmer a collection of his poetry published by Wergo, accompanied by musicians Carin Levine (flutes);Jennifer Hymer (piano); Stephan Froleyks and Olaf Pyras (percussion); Omphalo-Quartett (African drums); Andreas König and Aki Hoffmann (piano).^[6]

He was described by Cape Times editor Aneez Salie as "one of the finest poets and journalists our Struggle has produced".^[7]

He survived a car accident in and recovering slowly after a coma, he continued to participate in events, such as the launch of Planting Water in His death on 9 November from tuberculosis^[7] was mourned in numerous obituaries.^{[8][9][10][11][12]}

Poetry

• Guava Juice ()
• Telegraph to the Sky ()^[4]

Other works

• Soul Fire: Writing the Transition ().

References