Remember Hani by strengthening alliance, says Blade
MEMBERS of the tripartite alliance should be consulted on who is appointed in the government as they have an interest in how state power is exercised.
This is the view of SA Communist Party (SACP) general secretary Blade Nzimande‚ who spoke during an event commemorating the 25th anniversary of the assassination of Chris Hani at the Thomas Nkobi Memorial Park in Ekurhuleni.
Hani was killed on April 10 1993. At the time he was the general secretary of the SACP and a member of the national executive committee of the ANC.
Nzimande said one of the best ways to remember Hani would be to strengthen the alliance and relook at its configuration.
“This alliance is too precious. Also as the SACP‚ and we agree with Sanco and Cosatu‚ we have to convince the ANC [that] we need to reconfigure the manner in which the alliance is functioning,” he said.
“Our alliance is working as if we are still pre-1994.
“Things have changed quite substantially now. I know when we say this‚ people say we want to be deployed.
“We as communists fought before there was deployment. But this is our government.
“We have an interest in state power and how it is exercised. We want meaningful consultation.”
He also lamented the divisions among the military veterans of the ANC as these were the people who worked with Hani while he was with MK.
“We want to appeal to all MK veterans that your division into MKMVA and MK council is not right and it must be fixed,” Nzimande said.
“The best way to remember Chris 25 years after his cowardly assassination is to unite the soldiers of uMkhonto.” Speaking at the same memorial, Hani’s daughter Lindiwe said she could not get over apartheid because those who were behind it had never apologised for the wrong that they did.
Lindiwe said there were many calls for today’s youth to simply forget about apartheid and move on.
“We are told every day how we need to get over it [apartheid],” she said.
“As I stand a few feet from my father’s grave I am very clear that I will never get over it.
“To those people saying that we should get over it‚ I think they need to exercise a whole lot of empathy‚ sensitivity and acknowledge what we went through.”
She also said Winnie Madikizela-Mandela did not need anyone to defend her because her deeds spoke for her.
Lindiwe detailed how she was introduced to Madikizela-Mandela as a child and the relationship her father had with her.
“My father loved Mama Winnie and she loved him as well .”