Are we doing justice to the memory of ChrisHani?
Today marks the 26th anniversary of the brutal assassination of Thembisile Chris Hani, the former leader of the SA Communist Party and Umkhonto weSizwe, the armed wing of the ANC. On this day in 1993, our country was nearly plunged into a civil war when a far-right anti-communist immigrant, Janusz Walus, shot the beloved leader.
In 1969, Hani and some comrades from the MK penned what would be known as the Hani Memorandum, a document so explosive in its criticism of the leadership of the ANC in exile that it resulted in his suspension from the ANC and the MK. Among the things Hani listed were the social distance of the ANC leadership from the masses of the people in the country, the disintegration of the MK, and perhaps most importantly, the conduct of ANC leaders in exile.
Hani’s contempt for this betrayal of the poor, working-class people back home was palpable. In every interview that one watches of Hani, he laments this calamitous flirtation with money - this move by comrades towards a life of crass materialism and social distance from the people. It is perhaps apt that today, as we commemorate Hani, we also reflect on the state of the Mass Democratic Movement and ask ourselves whether Hani’s concerns had any legitimate basis.
Over time, this morality has been eroded by ceaseless scandals of its leaders and its conduct in government, where it has flirted with corruption, maladministration and the misappropriation of state funds. The decision by the ANC leadership at the Morogoro Conference in 1969 to reinstate Hani and the signatories of the Hani Memorandum was the result of self-reflection and self-criticism, which are important for organisations that seek to bring about meaningful change in society.
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