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Chris Hani: The book (video interview)
The former MK chief of staff and SACP secretary Chris Hani would have not have wanted to hold public office or ministerial post 1994, writes Mayibongwe Maqhina.
HANI: Can’t access YouTube? Click here to watch the interview (10MB -- may buffer)
“He believed very sincerely his job at that time was to support the ANC as secretary-general of the SACP, to go out into communities around South Africa and to provide the greatest and deepest possible political education so that the revolution, as he saw it, would be finally achieved,” said Janet Smith, co-author of the book Hani — a life to short?.
Smith was speaking at the Dispatch Dialogues, co-hosted with the University of Fort Hare, on Tuesday.
“The revolution as Chris Hani saw it and the way we understand by talking to people and from studying his life was much more about housing, jobs, descent life and upliftment of the poor.”
Co-author Beauregard Tromp said Hani’s ideals were informed by his background.
“The role he envisaged for himself and the party was one of building a grass root level of making sure that the voice of the people is always heard,” he said.
Smith, however, doubted whether the ANC would have allowed him to play his preferred role.
The two authors had embarked on a journey to discover Hani after writing a three-part series for a local newspaper. They were approached by a publisher to develop their series and write a book.
Tromp said when they did their research people they interviewed spoke of Hani as the man with an AK-47 in one hand and classics in the other.
“We wanted to get the better understanding of this man,” Tromp said.
Their journey saw them interviewing over 50 people and travelling all over the country and abroad.
“It was a privilege to do this … What we discovered was a true patriot and a great South African,” Smith added.
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Did you know he had blue eyes?
One blew that way and the other blew this way!!! LOL.
Chr1s Han1 as Pres1dent would have been the very best th1ng to happen to SA. 1 honestly bel1eve he would have made as good 1f not a better leader than Mandela.
SA & Afr1ca (and the world) 1s a much poorer place w1thout h1m. H1s murder was one of the ch1ef factors 1n my dec1s1on to f1nally leave SA.
Derby-Lew1s should never be allowed to enjoy freedom aga1n because he has den1ed every s1ngle South Afr1can a better future…..and that 1ncludes you eugene.
You know guys I have a VERY SERIOUS COFESSION TO MAKE and I will happily make my appology public.
When Biko was murdered I was still a youngster at school so I really did not knowny better just a plain bloody stupid teen ager who thought he knew everything. When Steve Biko was murdered I commented in History class, well if he wants to make grief then he gotwhat he deserved onlyto be expelled from classetc. I sincerely APPOLOGISE to the family of Steve biko for my Insensitivity.
Anyway the point im try to also make is that Steve and Hani would be absolutely shattered and mortified if they saw theway the ANC have totallyscrewed this country up, this is not what they fought and died for, may their soles rest in peace without having to witness what and absolute embarresment the ANC is to SA and to the very special men.
Why is Clive Derby Lewis still in jail f or Hani’s murder when it was clearly politically motivated? What makes him different from those terrorists who killed people in Wimpy Bars, on train stations, etc? They are all fat wealthy politicians now.
R.I.P.
Oh,I missed the lecture, the guy was good! He was really dedicated to the course of freedom for the poor.
Unfortunately imbeciles from somewhere saw him a threat to their wealth they gained through evil deeds.
I remember him when he said communism means basic serives to the people. Though was concerned about the bombarstic dialetics and the objectives of Marxism, he was advocating a simplfied version of this philosophy, which is changing people’s lives for the better.
Rest in peace comrade!!
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