(GIN) – Fierce anti-apartheid fighter Chris Hani will be remembered in South Africa this week at a time when the Africa National Congress faces its most serious internal divisions.
Fortunately, many writings survive that reveal Hani’s physical and moral bravery. Among his most famous quotes are these:
“What we need in South Africa is for egos to be suppressed in favor of peace. We need to create a new breed of South Africans who love their country and love everybody, irrespective of their color.”
“Socialism is not about big concepts and heavy theory. Socialism is about decent shelter for those who are homeless. It is about water for those who have no safe drinking water. It is about health care, it is about a life of dignity for the old. It is about overcoming the huge divide between urban and rural areas. It is about a decent education for all our people. Socialism is about rolling back the tyranny of the market. As long as the economy is dominated by an unelected, privileged few, the case for socialism will exist.”
“We need to create the pathways to give hope to our youth that they can have the opportunity through education and hard work to escape the trap of poverty.”
Born Martin Thembisile Hani, he was the leader of the South African Communist Party and chief of staff of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the ANC. He joined the ANC Youth League when he was 15 years old, even though political activities were not allowed at black schools under apartheid. He influenced other students to join the ANC.
After his assassination on April 10, 1993, the two sides of the negotiation process were galvanised into action, and the parties soon agreed that democratic elections should take place on April 27,1994, just over a year after Hani’s assassination.
Lastly, the South African Communist Party is calling for the official inquest to be reopened into Chis Hani’s assassination.
“We will campaign through political action, and our 2017 commemoration of Comrade Hani’s murder will be dedicated to demanding the inquest,” the group wrote in a report following a two-day meeting of the party’s central committee.
Hani was murdered by a white nationalist, Janusz Walus and Clive Derby-Lewis who supplied the gun.
*Quotes gathered by Alexis Haden for The South Africa, an online publication..
w/ pix of C. Hani
