Fana Mokoena was born on 13 May 1971 and is a South African actor and political activist, he served as a Member of Parliament, first as a delegate to the National Council of Provinces representing his home province Free State from May 2014 until August 2016; then later as a full member of the National Assembly of South Africa between August 2016 and October 2020 when he resigned.
18 Facts About Fana Mokoena
1.
2.
Fana Mokoena was however back in parliament in 2024 after the National and Provincial Elections.
3.
Fana Mokoena was born on 13 May 1971 in Kroonstad, Free State, South Africa.
4.
Fana Mokoena was raised in Kroonstad and later schooled in Johannesburg by his mother and stepfather, along with his three siblings.
5.
Fana Mokoena studied Theatre and Performance at the University of Cape Town and later qualified in Media Studies.
6.
Fana Mokoena started his acting career as a full member of the Playhouse Theatre company in 1993, and in 1994 he made his television debut in the South African TV film The Line.
7.
Fana Mokoena played a small role in the thriller Dangerous Ground in 1997.
8.
Fana Mokoena appeared alongside Brad Pitt in the role of Thierry Umutoni in the zombie blockbuster World War Z in 2013.
9.
Fana Mokoena portrayed the anti-apartheid fighter Govan Mbeki in the film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom with Idris Elba.
10.
Fana Mokoena has received several accolades in the entertainment industry, both in his home country and internationally, including Best Actor Award at the South African Film and Television Awards SAFTA for his role in The LAB; and Best Actor in Supporting Role at the African Movie Academy Awards AMAA in Lagos, Nigeria for his role in Man On Ground.
11.
In 1976 Fana Mokoena's mother, Arcillia Mekodi Mokoena was detained and held in solitary confinement by the Apartheid regime for political activism She was incarcerated for inciting a student protest at a school in Kroonstad where she was a teacher, a protest action effected in solidarity with the 1976 Soweto Student uprising which saw scores of students being massacred by the Apartheid regime.
12.
Mokoena's mother is a political veteran in her own right and her son, Fana Mokoena took after her in political activism.
13.
Fana Mokoena was initially a member of the African National Congress.
14.
Fana Mokoena later left the party, because he believed it was corrupt.
15.
Fana Mokoena then became a Founding Member of the Economic Freedom Fighters, where he now serves a member of the party's Central Command Team.
16.
Fana Mokoena won a second term in the 2019 general election, with the Economic Freedom Fighters almost doubling their number of seats.
17.
Fana Mokoena resigned from the National Assembly with effect from 16 October 2020 but remained in the EFF's Central Command Team as a member of the War Council, the party's operational authority.
18.
Fana Mokoena has returned to the Film and Television industry as a writer and producer.