ANC stalwart Moss Chikane dies at 69

The respected struggle stalwart was part of a group of leaders in the United Democratic Front when the ANC was banned.

Picture: Learn and Teach Magazine

In a short statement on Thursday morning, ANC stalwart Moses “Moss” Chikane’s family confirmed that he had passed away overnight at the age of 69.

Family spokesperson Chikane Chikane said that Chikane died late Wednesday night at around 23:30. Chikane had been unwell for some time and spent time in and out of hospital.

He had played a pivotal role in the liberation struggle and was one of the key leaders of the United Democratic Front during the years the ANC was banned.

He was the national co-ordinator of the former National Co-ordinating Committee for the Return of Exiles in the 1990s.

Chikane, cousin of Reverend Frank Chikane, inadvertently exposed the “Travelgate scandal” as an ANC MP when he bumped into a “Mrs Chikane” who was wait-listed on a flight and he asked her if they were related.

The woman reportedly burst into tears and it was later discovered that she was not who she claimed to be. It was then decided to change the travel system after widespread fraud was discovered among government officials.

Chikane later had a career as a diplomat for government. In 2005, he was appointed as the ambassador to Germany. Five years later he was reposted to Zambia.

Cope leader Mosiuoa Lekota, who was put on trial with Chikane, already spoke on radio about his fond memories of his comrade.

Popo Molefe, Lekota and Chikane, who were at the time collectively known as the “Big Three” in the media, were arrested and charged with treason in the late 1980s. They were trialed in Delmas, Eastern Transvaal (now Mpumalanga). Lekota, Molefe, Chikane and Tom Manthatha were found guilty of treason on 18 November 1988, according to SA History Online.

[ON AIR] COPE Leader, Mosiuoa Lekota says #MossChikane was always pleasant, always full of jokes throughout the years of the treason trial. Those were very difficult times #BreakfastWithDavid

— On the street. On the air. (@KayaOnAir) October 18, 2018