SACP demands probe into Chris Hani’s death, cholera outbreak in Tshwane
A GROUP of SACP supporters marched to the Department of Correctional Services’ offices in Pretoria to reiterate their call for an inquest to be held into the death of the party’s general secretary, Chris Hani, who was assassinated 30 years ago.
They insisted that their memorandum calling for an inquest must be brought to the attention of the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola, who was unavailable to receive it.
Senior department official Kenneth Mthombeni, who received the memorandum, promised that it would eventually reach Lamola.
During the march, held on Friday, SACP spokesperson Mpho Mogakane said: “We are here to demand a response to our memorandum and to reiterate our demand for a full inquest into the assassination of Chris Hani as a matter of urgency.”
The party said in the memorandum that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission established under South Africa’s democratic dispensation concluded that Hani’s assassins “failed to make full disclosure of the truth and all the circumstances surrounding the assassination of the magnitude they carried out”.
It further stated that the commission denied Hani’s assassins amnesty.
Mogakane said the party demanded full disclosure of the truth and all the circumstances surrounding Hani’s killing and justice for him, his family and those affected by his assassination.
He said the party rejected with contempt the allegation that Janusz Walus, who assassinated Hani, was “remorseful or sincerely apologetic without making full disclosure of the truth”.
“We reiterate that it is nothing but apartheid ‘justice’ as opposed to real justice to accept as remorse pretensions of remorse without full disclosure of the truth. Here, the parole board failed our democracy,” he said.
Marchers also picketed outside the Department of Water and Sanitation, where they demanded a full-scale, independent investigation into the cholera outbreak and the role of the City of Tshwane after more than 20 people died in Hammanskraal.
Mogakane said: “We demand a fullscale investigation into water provision in the City of Tshwane and the failure of the municipality to provide clean drinking water not only in Hammanskraal but also in other predominantly African communities.”
He said the party called for heads to roll following the investigation’s findings and for Mayor Cilliers Brink to resign should the City be found to have neglected the water needs of residents.
Deputy Minister David Mahlobo denounced the outbreak of cholera in Hammanskraal, saying he agreed that a probe must be conducted with a view to hold accountable those responsible for water provision to residents.
The marchers proceeded to Tshwane House where they demanded an urgent resolution of the water crisis in Hammanskraal and other affected communities in the municipality.
“The City of Tshwane cannot get away with murder, especially if the source of the cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal can be traced to the water the City has provided or to the City’s failure to provide clean drinking water to the affected community,” they said.