Leaders of the struggle movement have spoken out against celebrity leaders at a Chris Hani memorial.
Monument erected in honour of Chris Hani at South Park cemetery south of Johannesburg on 10 April 2015. Picture: Reinart Toerien/EWN.
By Govan Whittles | 2 days ago
JOHANNESBURG – A call has been made at the unveiling of a monument for Chris Hani for leaders to stop acting like celebrities and make time for the constituencies in the same way the former ANC army leader flew to training camps to resolve issues.
The monument was unveiled on Friday in Boksburg for the murdered South African Communist Party (SACP) leader.
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Hani was shot dead by a Polish immigrant outside his home in Dawn Park 22 years ago Clive Derby Lewis and Janusz Walus were sent to jail but the South African Communist Party (SACP) maintains the people who ordered the killing remain unknown.
Leaders of the Tripartite Alliance and the Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) have spoken about Hani’s commitment to the struggle.
Ekurhuleni Secretary Bafana Mahlabe says he was recruited into the SACP by Chris Hani himself and remembers his commitment to the well-being of combatants.
“He was a hero of Umkhonto we Sizwe. When there were problems in the camps comrade Chris Hani would fly to the camp and sleep there until all the problems are resolved.
Mahlabe says this commitment is lacking among the current leaders.
“But the challenge we have today, we’ve got celebrity leaders. People who tell you my schedule doesn’t allow me to do things. When people have challenges on the ground.”
When he died Hani was one of the SACP’s most accomplished soldiers and was the chief of staff of Umkhonto we Sizwe which was later incorporated into the Defence Force.
Ekurhuleni mayor Mondli Gungubele has warned that discussions about the placement of South African and colonial statues should take place in a peaceful environment.
Gungubele yesterday addressed the unveiling of a monument for the slain SACP leader Chris Hani and said it’s important to preserve historic statues but the debate should be about where they are kept.
Gungubele says the peaceful environment is currently being threatened and while he did not mention by whom his remarks could be interpreted as a swipe at the EFF.
“In the absence of peace, no amount of energy can be unleashed in the interest of the future of this nation, unless there is peace, which comrade Chris represented, that future is not possible.”
His comments were echoed by the leader of the SACP General Secretary Blade Nzimande who says the statues should be moved to an apartheid park where children can be taught about who they were.
“But what we do not agree with is the smashing of those statues. We must remove those statues that are offensive and create apartheid parks where we can go through them one by one and explain who was Cecil Rhodes, who was Verwoerd.”
(Edited by Victoria Campbell-Gillies)