Deputy President Paul Mashatile: 32nd Commemoration of Chris Hani

Programme Directors, Deputy Minister Peace Mabe and MEC Sibulele Ngongo;
Mrs Limpho Hani, daughter Lindiwe and family;
The Premier of the Eastern Cape, Honourable Oscar Mabuyane;
Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton Mckenzie;
Executive Mayor of the Chris Hani District Municipality, Cllr Lusanda Sizani;
Mayor of the Intsika Yethu Municipality, Cllr Khanyiswa Mdleleni;
Deputy Chairperson of the SACP, Mr Thulas Nxesi; and leadership of the SACP present here;
COSATU 1st Deputy President Cde Mike Shingange and Leadership of COSATU present here;
Deputy President of SANCO, Mr Lucky Moloi;
All political leaders here present;
Members of the ANC, SACP, SANCO and COSATU;
Invited Guests and Members of the community;
Ladies and Gentlemen;
Molweni!

Today, we stand at the foot of history as we mark the 32nd anniversary of the assassination of a distinguished freedom fighter and revolutionary, Thembisile Chris Hani.

What makes this commemoration more unique is that we stand on the sacred ground of Sabalele Village, the birthplace of Martin Thembisile Hani, who at his young age walked barefoot with dreams that dared to defy the cruelty of apartheid.

Today, the world has come to know Martin Thembisile as Chris Hani, a revolutionary, a commissar, a leader, a parent, a husband, and a martyr, whose blood and sacrifices cleared the way to the 1994 historic political breakthrough.

Chris Hani’s assassination in April 1993 marked a pivotal moment in the transition to democracy, as the killers aimed to plunge the country into a civil war.

However, despite the pain and anger in our people, his untimely death united the majority of people in their pursuit of democracy.

Remarkably, on 27 April 1994, South Africa held its first non-racial election, marking the end of apartheid. The ANC seized the moment from reluctant apartheid government leaders who were resisting change and inflicting violence on innocent people in trains, workplaces, and communities.

Today, we can enjoy the fruits of hard-earned freedom, thanks to his contributions as the last sacrificed mortal among many selfless martyrs such as Solomon Mahlangu, who was hanged by the apartheid regime on April 6, 1979, for no crime other than his love for his people.

On the 24th of April 1993, 14 days after the assassination of Chris Hani, a few days after his funeral, we lost another giant of our struggle, Cde Oliver Tambo, who led and commanded the army both Chris Hani and Solomon Mahlangu belonged to, the Umkhonto Wesizwe Liberation Movement.

Chris was a comrade whom OR Tambo revered and respected. He had saved him from the wrath of a military tribunal by doing the unthinkable: he chose to speak for the timid and voiceless in the MK ranks, risking his life to save the Movement, even if it meant sacrificing his own life in the process.

Comrade Chris was renowned for his bravery and willingness to undertake the most challenging tasks. So this too was of no surprise, because he joined and led the march of disgruntled soldiers after returning from another difficult mission, which got him arrested in Botswana, where he served a sentence.

Comrade Chris was second-in-command of the Luthuli Detachment. Alongside comrades like Lennox Lagu, Basil February, and many others, he crossed the crocodile-infested Zambezi River and struck fear into the heart of the apartheid army. He once wrote, "The Luthuli Detachment never lost in battle."

As we commemorate the assassination of Comrade Chris Hani, we also honour Comrade Oliver Tambo, who led the ANC and the mass democratic movement until his death in 1993. Tambo's death concluded Martin Luther's prophecy that a promised land would be reached, regardless of the leaders who led the struggles. At all times, we must remember that our freedom was not free.

Indeed, on 27 April 1994, South Africa reached its promised land, but without notable figures like OR Tambo, Chris Hani, Solomon Mahlangu, and others.

We must never allow the rhetoric which suggests that democracy is the worst form of Government and that apartheid was better than a democratic state. Nor must we allow some of us as beneficiaries of this huge sacrifice of many fallen martyrs, like Chris Hani, to discredit democracy through shameful deeds like corruption, stealing from the state and the poor, killing for positions, and fighting to access positions for selfish interests.

Such deeds and postures undermine the sacrifices of those who were at the forefront of the armed struggle.

Chris Hani’s greatness did not end on the battlefield. It grew in negotiation halls, at political rallies, and in the homes of workers and students.

At CODESA, he stood not for positions, but for principles. He wore military fatigues not for personal glory but to remind us that the war for justice was not yet over.

The battles he conducted and the victories he achieved, in conjunction with his detachment, were not merely military triumphs. They exemplified the spirit of non-surrender and resilience that we must always embody, asserting to the world that we were not silenced then, and we will not be silenced now. We will fight for justice and prosperity for humanity and lift up the voices of the voiceless and downtrodden, wherever they are— be it in Africa, Western Sahara, Palestine, or anywhere in the world.

Young people should learn from his character and love for knowledge, which he displayed right from an early age that led him to complete two classes in one year and graduate from Lovedale School in 1957.

Comrade Chris Hani became a member of the Unity Movement’s Society of Young Africa while still at school. At 15, he joined the ANC Youth League, defying fear and choosing the dangerous path of resistance, trained in the Soviet Union, and fought in Zimbabwe’s liberation—and yet always, he remained tethered to the South African struggle.

He believed that for our country to succeed, we need to stand in solidarity, sharing what we have with one another.

He believed that any system that society seeks to adopt to address its challenges and bring about the changes necessary to create a new, better, and more prosperous society, including his belief in a "socialist system", should not be about "big concepts and heavy theory".

Rather, it should be about "good shelter for those who are homeless, about water for those who have no safe drinking water." The focus should be on accessible and equitable healthcare, a life of dignity for the elderly, overcoming the significant disparity between urban and rural areas, and providing a quality education for all of our citizens.

We have indeed attained political justice, and we must never be deterred from our journey of attaining social and economic justice. As a nation, we must work together to establish equal economic possibilities and make sure that resources and opportunities are distributed fairly within society to advance a more just and equitable economic system.

Compatriots
Our reality is that we are not exactly where Chris Hani would have liked us to be as a nation. This district where we are gathered today has former homeland areas where little or no development has taken place over several years.

This lack of investment has translated into high levels of poverty across the district.

We cannot sit in our offices while people are challenged with a higher demand for basic services, as well as housing and infrastructure development, crime, sporadic water interruptions, and sewer spillages.

At this point in history in particular, we must question ourselves how Chris Hani would have tackled the issues of the SA-USA trading relationship.

Moreover, how would he have responded to the prevailing pandemic of gender-based violence and femicide? Would he have folded his hands in the face of high unemployment and stagnant economic growth, impacting the most vulnerable and destitute among us? Was he going to keep silent while corruption undermines democratic institutions?

We all have the answers to these questions. As far as I am concerned, Chris Hani would have never remained silent on these issues.
Many people still live in poverty and lack access to land, with many lacking the tools and implements to till the land and participate in the economy.

Chris Hani fought for a society where no one should be oppressed, and the Freedom Charter aims to ensure that land is shared among those who work it.

Government is committed to accelerating programmes of land reform by all lawful means, including evoking expropriation without compensation, where it is necessary. We are intensifying rural development strategies, as per the National Development Plan, to create sustainable, equitable, and vibrant communities through land reform, infrastructure development, job creation, and poverty alleviation, focusing on agriculture and related industries.

This equally extends to the development of our district and local municipalities in terms of their respective integrated development plans, in line with our District Development Model.

The best honour we can do today is to ensure safety for all people, regardless of race, gender, and creed, and a society free from crime and gender-based violence, as well and protection for women from criminals and murderous activities. Let us root out those who engage in extortion activities and not protect those who exploit our society.

Compatriots
SA-USA Relations
Regarding the recent hike of tariff increases by the US Government, I must confess that if we do not respond quickly, it will have a negative impact on our country and the developing world. If we do not respond to it quickly, the Auto industry will be highly affected and will undermine the government and South Africa’s effort to grow the economy and create jobs.

Therefore, the new U.S. tariffs underscore the need to negotiate a new bilateral trade deal with Washington to ensure long-term trade certainty.

South Africa remains committed to a mutually beneficial trade relationship with the United States. However, imposing tariffs without mutual agreement raises significant concerns, which act as obstacles to trade and the collective well-being of all involved.
The reality is that trade and tariff wars have no winners.
Protectionism leads nowhere.

We therefore urge the U.S. to continue engaging with its main trading partners, including South Africa, and to resolve its trade differences with China and other countries through consultation in a mutually beneficial and progressive manner.

The important lesson we must take from SA-USA relations is that South Africa needs to diversify its trading partners to reduce dependence on specific markets. We need to create and strengthen our trade balance with emerging markets, including other African nations. This will make our economy more resilient to global economic instabilities, now and into the future.

Ladies and gentlemen,
Gender-Based Violence
In the spirit of Chris Hani, we also need to find a solution to the persistent gender-based violence that is tearing away the fabric of our society. We urgently need a solution to protect our children and women, who suffer disproportionately from gender-based violence, as it is a non-healing wound.

To eradicate gender-based violence and help survivors, South Africa is aggressively tackling the issue through various strategies, including specialised police desks, legislative frameworks, awareness campaigns, and community initiatives.

We must, however, take more action to fortify existing measures. We also need to address the root cause often linked to societal norms, inequality, and poverty. We urge the leaders of our society to educate and engage communities by raising awareness about gender-based violence, its impact, and how to prevent it.

Furthermore, we must strengthen our criminal justice system to ensure prompt and fair prosecutions of those who perpetrate such horrible crimes.

Collaboration to Fight Unemployment
Distinguished Guests
We also need to work together to combat unemployment in our nation. If we can get more people into jobs, we will have contributed significantly to improving the conditions and livelihoods of people, their families, and the country at large.

The creation of jobs is a complex issue involving both the private sector and the government, with the private sector being the primary source and the government creating an enabling environment.
As Chris Hani has guided us, we need to work together. We must consistently strive to unite people, identify shared interests, and create opportunities for all.

Ladies and gentlemen,
Future of Government of National Unity
Before I take my seat, please allow me to briefly discuss the issue of the Government of National Unity (GNU) in our country. I must say that the GNU has its set of challenges, but these do not imply that the GNU will collapse. One of the reasons why this GNU will continue is that it is not an agreement between merely two parties, as is the case in many other countries, but rather an agreement among ten political parties working towards the same objectives and priorities.

What we need to understand about GNU is that we may have different views on issues, but once an agreement has been reached, we must all speak with one voice. This was also the case with Chris Hani; he had a strong view about the armed struggle, and when the ANC was prepared to engage in negotiations, the leadership decided to drop it, which he opposed.

However, when a majority decision was reached, he was the one who returned with the same zeal, encouraging people to lay down their arms. He understood that you cannot present your viewpoint to a majority of people who hold opposing views. When one viewpoint is not supported, we must support the majority to provide a sense of direction for our country, because we cannot develop a country in a fractured manner.

Let me conclude by asserting without hesitation that Chris Hani did not die in vain.

The legacy of Chris Hani will not be reduced to speeches or wreaths.

Together with Minister McKenzie, the Chris Hani Foundation, and the Hani family, we have formed a historic partnership. The annual commemoration of Chris Hani will now be elevated to a national event, rooted not only in memory but in development, heritage, and the values for which he lived and died.

This year, we begin by building a sports facility at a local school in Sabalele. This is not a handout. It is an investment in the youth—those who will walk in the footsteps of Chris Hani, who must be given the tools to dream, to grow, and to lead.

We also pledge to repatriate and rebury the remains of liberation combatants. Last year, 42 liberation fighters returned home. This is the work of healing.

Let this moment remind us that the struggle is not over. We must fight corruption and underdevelopment with the same fire with which Chris Hani fought apartheid.

We must build an economy that serves the people—not one that excludes them.
We must honour his name not only with words but with work. With compassion. With bold, urgent action. We need to construct a nation that many heroes of the struggle have envisioned.

I thank you.

Enquiries:
Foster Mohale
Departmental Spokesperson
National Health Department
Cell: 072 432 3792
E-mail: Foster.mohale@health.gov.za

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