The Guardian 30 April, 2008
SACP remembers Chris Hani
The April 10, 2008 marks the 15th Anniversary of the cowardly assassination of Chris Hani, the late General Secretary of the South African Communist Party, an MK (the active military wing of the ANC during the Apartheid era) Commander and a member of the ANC National Executive Committee.
This is indeed a very significant day for the democratic movement as a whole as we commemorate the beginning of the final lap of our journey to democracy. It was through the life and blood of Comrade Chris that South Africa’s freedom and democracy were achieved. We will always remember him for that immense contribution.
Comrade Chris dedicated all his life to fight injustice and exploitation. When we said we would not allow Comrade Chris to die, we committed ourselves to continue fighting injustice and exploitation wherever it is meted out against humanity.
The SACP will this year use the commemorative month to launch its campaign to lower the cost of living for the workers and the poor in this country. We will in due course announce to the public details of the campaign. We undertake this campaign inspired by Comrade Chris’ words when he said:
"Socialism is not about big concepts and heavy theory. Socialism is about decent shelter for those who are homeless. It is about water for those who have no safe drinking water. It is about health care, it is about a life of dignity for the old. It is about overcoming the huge divide between urban and rural areas. It is about education for all our people. Socialism is about rolling back the tyranny of the market. As long as the economy is dominated by an un-elected, privileged few, the case for socialism will exist."
In the recent past, we have seen an increased onslaught on the quality of life of many South Africans. Exorbitant food prices compounded by the immoral act of price fixing and collusion, a rise in prices of fuel, a public health system in a crisis, an education system that produces junk and now recently, to add salt to the already painful situation of load shedding, the proposed tariff hikes by Eskom (electricity provider).
Those events, including the slow pace of transformation in the economy, lack of support for co-ops, entrench holding of the monopolies in our commanding heights of the economy, have reinforced a case for socialism.
Comrade Chris’ life will be worth nothing until all the banks, the mines and the key monopolies are returned to the ownership of the people as a whole.