Reverend Frank Chikane is Director-General in the Presidency, Office of President TM Mbeki and Deputy President JG Zuma since 1999; member of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), which managed the first non-racial democratic elections in 1994. The Reverend Frank Chikane was a Senior Research Officer at the University of Cape Town, 1995; General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches (SACC), 1987–1994. In the early 1970’s he was a member of the South African Student’s Organisation (SASO). Reverend Frank Chikane participated in the development of grassroots community-based organisations that later became the constituent members of the United Democratic Front (UDF). The Reverend Frank Chikane was both a founding member and a Vice President of the UDF. During the latter part of the 1980’s, the Reverend Frank Chikane became a founding member of the Soweto People’s Delegation (SPD). He was detained without trial in January 1977, June 1977 to January 1978, November 1980 and in November 1981 to July 1982. The 1977 and 1977/78 detentions involved severe torture by the security forces. In February 1985, he was arrested and charged with High Treason. In 1989, he survived an organophosphate chemical poisoning which was instituted by the apartheid security establishment. He was instrumental in uniting the racially divided Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa (White, Coloured, Indian and African). The Reverend holds two Masters degrees in Theology (University of Natal, 1992) and in Public Administration (JF Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, 1995).

Publications include: Autobiography: No Life of My Own. He participated in editing The Road to Rustenberg: The Church Looking Forward to a new South Africa.