Chris Hani: A Revolutionary Leader and His Enduring Legacy

Born on June 28, 1942, in the Xhosa village of Cofimvaba, Transkei, Martin Thembisile Hani, known as Chris Hani, was a prominent figure in South Africa's struggle against apartheid. Hani's father, Gilbert Hani, was a union worker and political activist who went into exile in 1962, returning only in 1991. His mother, Mary Hani, was uneducated but instilled in him a strong sense of justice. As the fifth of six children, Hani excelled academically, attending Lovedale School where he completed his final two years in just one. By age 12, after hearing his father's accounts of apartheid and the African National Congress (ANC), Hani was determined to join the ANC but had to wait until he was old enough.
At 15, Hani joined the ANC Youth League while studying at Lovedale, despite the ban on political activities in black schools. He quickly became a leader, influencing other students to join the ANC. In 1959, he enrolled at the University of Fort Hare, where he studied English, Latin, and literature. Even then, Hani was more focused on fighting apartheid than on extracurricular activities.
Hani's political activism intensified as he grew older. He participated in protests against the Bantu Education Act and worked as a clerk at a law firm. After graduating, he joined Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the armed wing of the ANC. Hani's involvement in MK led to his exile in Lesotho in 1963 after being targeted by the South African government under the Suppression of Communism Act. It was during this period that he adopted the name "Chris" for security reasons.
Trained in military tactics in the Soviet Union, Hani played a significant role in the Zimbabwean War of Liberation, also known as the Rhodesian Bush War. His reputation as a skilled soldier grew during the Luthuli Detachment operation, a joint effort between MK and the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army. In 1969, Hani co-authored the "Hani Memorandum," which criticized the ANC leadership, further solidifying his position as a key figure in the anti-apartheid movement.
Despite attempts on his life, Hani continued to lead MK operations from Lesotho and later moved to the ANC's headquarters in Lusaka, Zambia. As the head of MK, he was responsible for quelling a mutiny by anti-Communist ANC members in detention camps, though he denied involvement in any abuses. Hani's leadership extended to protecting women's rights within MK, earning him respect among female operatives.
With the unbanning of the ANC in 1990, Hani returned to South Africa and succeeded Joe Slovo as head of the South African Communist Party (SACP) in December 1991. He played a crucial role in shifting the ANC's strategy from armed struggle to negotiations.
On April 10, 1993, Chris Hani was assassinated outside his home in Dawn Park, Boksburg, by Janusz Waluś, a Polish far-right immigrant. Waluś, who fled the scene, was soon arrested thanks to the quick actions of Margareta Harmse, a white Afrikaner housewife, and a neighbor who witnessed the crime. Clive Derby-Lewis, a senior Conservative Party MP, was also arrested for his role in the murder, having provided Waluś with the weapon.
Hani's assassination marked a turning point in South Africa's history. The country teetered on the brink of widespread violence, but Nelson Mandela's calm and presidential address to the nation helped prevent a descent into chaos. Mandela's appeal for unity was pivotal in galvanizing both sides of the negotiation process, leading to the agreement that democratic elections would be held on April 27, 1994, just over a year after Hani's death.
In October 1993, Waluś and Derby-Lewis were convicted of Hani's murder and sentenced to death, though their sentences were later commuted to life imprisonment following the abolition of the death penalty in 1995. Both men sought amnesty from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, claiming political motivation, but their applications were denied as the commission found they had not acted on orders.
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