SACP+remembers+Martin+Thembisilie+Chris+Hani

SACP REMEMBERS MARTIN THEMBISILE “CHRIS” HANI:
=SACP statement on the 13th anniversary of the assassination of Cde Hani= Tomorrow, 10 April 2006, marks the 13th anniversary of the cold-blooded and cowardly assassination of the then General Secretary of the SACP, and member of the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC), Cde Martin Thembisile “Chris” Hani. The South African Communist Party (SACP) joins the Hani family and millions of other South Africans in remembering and honouring this hero of our people. For several years now, the SACP has marked April as “Chris Hani Month”. Amongst other things, we use this month to remember and celebrate Cde Chris Hani’s outstanding life and contribution. The SACP will also use the Chris Hani Month as a rallying point to take forward SACP campaigns, following the example set by Cde Chris Hani himself, to be always rooted amongst the workers and the poor. The SACP also notes that Chris Hani 13th anniversary coincides with another important occasion, the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). The TRC made an important contribution towards our country’s transition to democracy. As the government continues to address outstanding matters on the TRC, the SACP regards the circumstances surrounding the assassination of Cde Hani as one such significant outstanding matter. The TRC rejected amnesty for the killers of Cde Hani, as they did not speak the whole truth. The SACP therefore deems it appropriate that the circumstances surrounding Cde Hani’s assassination needs to be fully re-opened. This is because a lot of information was not fully followed up during the investigation and the trial of the killers. As the SACP we have welcomed the re-opening of the case surrounding the crash of Samora Machel’s plane in 1986. We believe the case of Cde Hani deserves similar treatment. The SACP will be engaging government and its allies on this matter. The 13th anniversary of the death of Cde Hani also coincides with the 10th anniversary of the adoption of our constitution. South Africa’s constitution has laid an important foundation upon which to strengthen our democracy and means through which to address some of the many challenges facing our country. It was his assassination that directly led to the promulgation of 27 April 1994 as the date for our first ever democratic elections We are however concerned that 10 years since the adoption of our constitution, one significant outstanding matter from one of the constitutional provisions is that of passing relevant legislation to allow parliament to amend money bills. We regard this as an important piece of legislation that will allow our elected public representatives to have a say on the budget. This will surely be one way of preserving the legacy of our great hero, that of giving effective voice to democratically elected representatives to have a say on all matters of state.

As we celebrate both the 13th anniversary of Cde Hani and 10 years of our constitution, it is also important that we reaffirm and consolidate the values of our national liberation movement, which leaders like Cde Hani lived and died for. We need to reaffirm our commitment to serve the public without expectation of personal gain. To this end the SACP is concerned about the rapidity with which many of our public representatives and civil servants are engaged in private business activities, declared or undeclared. We reiterate our call that we need to strengthen the culture of serving the public without mixing this with private business activity. At this rate, the single biggest threat to our national democratic revolution will soon be that of public interest being submerged by private business interests. The SACP will dedicate its honour to the memory of Cde Hani by seeking to strengthen working class and popular power to ensure that the people’s will triumphs over money. This year, the 2006 Chris Hani Month, the SACP will concretely focus on mobilisation to build People’s Land Committees (PLCs), to take forward the struggle for accelerated land and agrarian transformation. People’s Land Committees should be organs of popular power to assist our people to take up land and agrarian struggles. This is part and parcel of building motive forces for rural transformation. The key drivers of land and agrarian transformation should be the landless, the farmworkers, workers from co-operatives and other progressive layers of rural society in our country. Building PLCs is also an important way through which we can contribute towards the swift implementation of the resolutions taken at the National Land Summit held in July 2005. The 13th anniversary commemorations of the assassination of the late General Secretary of the SACP will be held in most provinces of our country during the month of April, focusing on building PLCs and attending to other challenges facing the workers and the poor. During this month we will also celebrate the 65th anniversary of the founding of the Food and Allied Workers Union. As part of the Chris Hani month we will also throw our weight behind the efforts of this COSATU affiliate to intensify its struggle to organise farmworkers. Organised farmworkers, especially in white-owned agricultural land, are an important layer around which to build vibrant PLCs. The life and example that Cde Hani set calls upon all of us to redouble our efforts in deepening the national democratic revolution as a basis to advance towards a socialist South Africa. Issued by: General Secretary South African Communist Party (SACP) 9 April 2006 CONTACT: Malesela Maleka SACP Spokesperson Tel: 011 339 3621 Fax: 011 339 4244 Mobile: 082 226 1802 Email: malesela@sacp.org.za **
 * Blade Nzimande

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