Chris Hani Assassinated (1993)

Sat Apr 10, 1993

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Chris Hani, assassinated by an anti-communist on this day in 1993, was the leader of the South African Communist Party and chief of staff of the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC).

Hani received military training in the Soviet Union and served in campaigns in the Zimbabwean War of Liberation, also known as the Rhodesian Bush War.

Hani was a fierce opponent of the apartheid government, but supported the suspension of the ANC's armed struggle in favor of negotiations after becoming head of the party in 1991. He was assassinated by Janusz Walus, an anti-communist Polish immigrant, on April 10th, 1993.

Clive Derby-Lewis, along with other members of the Conservative Party, had conspired to assassinate Hani in an attempt to start a race war shortly before the 1994 elections in which all races could vote. In particular, Lewis had given Walus the murder weapon directly.

Lewis was released in 2015 shortly before dying of lung cancer. Walus was granted parole by Justice Minister Ronald Lamola in December 2022.

"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...As long as the economy is dominated by an unelected, privileged few, the case for socialism will exist."

- Chris Hani

• Date: 1993-04-10
• Learn More: www.sahistory.org.za, en.wikipedia.org, web.archive.org.
• Tags: #Communism, #Socialism, #Assassinations.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Once you have an “armed wing” you give up the pretence of being a political party.