Sandile Dikeni


Sandile Dikeni was a South African poet and editor.

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. 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 cultural articulation of my anti-apartheidism.
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 1995, and worked as arts editor for the Cape Times, editor of Die Suid Afrikaan and political editor of This Day.
Dikeni is the author of three collections of poems, including Guava Juice,, which is followed by Telegraph to the Sky and Planting Water. He also published a collection of his articles from the Cape Times, Soul Fire: Writing the Transition, and his essay 'How The West Was Lost' appeared in Chimurenga 07: Kaapstad! And Jozi the Night Moses Died. On 10th February 2005, he recorded in collaboration with German composer :de:Klaus Hinrich Stahmer|Klaus Hinrich Stahmer a collection of his poetry published by Wergo, accompanied by musicians Carin :de:Carin Levine|Levine ;Jennifer Hymer ; :de:Stephan Froleyks|Stephan Froleyks and Olaf Pyras ; Omphalo- ; Andreas König and Aki Hoffmann.
He was described by Cape Times editor Aneez Salie as "one of the finest poets and journalists our Struggle has produced".
He survived a car accident in 2005 and recovering slowly after a coma, he continued to participate in events, such as the launch of Planting Water in 2007. His death on 9 November 2019 from tuberculosis was mourned in numerous obituaries.

Poetry