Ishmael Mkhabela is a freelance community development
practitioner and professional community organizer. He is the
founder and was Chief Executive Officer of Interfaith Community
Development Association (ICDA), an agency which has since 1991
pioneered and promoted broad-based relational community organizing
and community conflict resolution in South Africa. ICDA, a
development resource, trained professional community organizers,
promoted civic education and leadership development programmes, and
facilitated inner city renewal programmes that involved key multi-
stakeholder participation in community renewal and development
projects. In 2001 Mkhabela founded ICDA Housing and
Development Consultants (PTY) Ltd, a business arm that provided
urban development services to a range of clients, including
business, churches, faith-based organizations, government agencies,
and nongovernmental organizations that support socio-economic
development as well as cooperatives, housing and community renewal
programmes.
At the banning of black consciousness movement organizations and
publications in 1977 Mkhabela filled the social and political gap
by establishing and chairing the Soweto Action
Committee. In 1978 Ishmael was the founding chairperson
of the Azanian People's Organisation (AZAPO). He also served
the organizations and its associated networks in various capacities
that include chairing the Soweto Branch, National Publicity
Secretary and, in 1985, National President.
In 1987 Ish established the Witwatersrand Network for the
Homeless and facilitated in situ development and subsequently laid
the basis of inclusion of some of the homeless people in
state-sponsored development programmes.
Mkhabela chairs the boards of a number of trusts and
companies. These include the Johannesburg Social Housing
Company, Central Johannesburg Partnership, Steve Biko Foundation,
and Kabo Development Trust.
He was Deputy Chairperson of St Augustine College (Catholic
University of South Africa) until 2008. In addition he also served
as Vice-Chairperson of the National Housing Forum and also
Chairperson of the National Houisng Board, Impumelelo Innovations
Award Programme, Shisaka Development Management Services, Kagiso
Urban Management, People's Housing Partnership Trust, and New
Housing Holding Company. Other past directorships and
trusteeship include those of Land Investment Trust, Institute of
Multi-Party Democracy, Community Banking Project, Community Bank
and others.
Further, Ish is a trustee of FinMark Trust, Jim Khazamula Trust,
and Donaldson Trust. He also holds the directorships of
National Business Initiative, Shisaka Projects, and Centre for
Development and Enterprise, City Year South Africa, South African
Institute of Race Relations, and is the current chairperson of
Aggrey Klaaste Nation Building Foundation..
Finally, Mkhabela's work life links him with developments in the
trade union movement, schools regeneration programmes as well as
current and past development initiatives including Chairing
the Stakeholder Participation Team of the Children's Hospital
Project of the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund. He was
co-facilitator of Dinokeng Scenarios and currently leads the public
engagement processes of the project. His other
nation-building contributions include numerous roles in national
service agencies, women, youth, workers, civic and community-based
organizations and faith-based institutions. Ishmael has also
played a pivotal role as one of the founding executives and council
members of the Southern Africa Institute of Fundraising in the
early 1990.
