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2020-Chris-Hani-Ebook.Pdf Foreword Ekurhuleni Executive Mayor Cllr Mzwandile Masina Honouring Hani in uncertain times I was 19 at the time of this rest, to preserve my health, to tragic incident and a student at have time with my family when Mpontseng High School in there are other people who are Katlehong, I was among the no longer alive when they The 27th anniversary of South hundreds of young people who sacrificed what is most African Communist Party poured into Dawn Park when precious: namely life itself?” stalwart and Umkhonto we news of the incident first broke. That sums up the man that Sizwe commander Chris We found the scene cordoned Hani was. Martin Thembisile Hani takes off by police before Hani’s place in fearful and uncertain body was removed. With the More importantly, without times. It finds almost half the mood both tense and sombre, being conscious of it, Hani’s world’s population under we awaited to be addressed by principles and those of a various forms of restrictive the then chairman of the ANC number of other struggle measures adopted to contain in the Pretoria Witwatersrand heroes who did not live to see the spread of the Covid19 and Vaal region, Tokyo democracy underpin South pandemic. Sexwale. Africa’s constitution. Most South Africa is in the midst of notable of these is the Bill of an unprecedented lockdown I was also at Hani’s funeral a Rights, which contains rights which prevented us as the City week later to listen to ANC that Hani believed citizens are of Ekurhuleni from hosting the President Nelson Mandela call entitled to from birth without commemoration as would have for calm and restraint and the having to fight for them. From wished. This would have resolve as we were working to an early age, Hani was driven included the opening of the usher in a democratic order. by a desire for a better Chris Hani Museum at the These events shaped my desire treatment of African workers stalwart’s home in Dawn Park to honour struggle heroes, who were exploited and on 10 April 2020. But this especially those who paid with treated unjustly. His exposure should not prevent us from their lives, and I am grateful for to the racist nature of celebrating his memory in our the opportunity to lead the successive minority hearts, through virtual means as process since assuming office governments that shaped his enabled by technology and in August 2016. The process belief in human rights as through the written words as turning Hani’s home into the contained in the constitution. we do in this special Chris Hani Chris Hani museum, now in its digital edition today. final stages, is a profound and Hani was passionate about and significant one. preoccupied with eradicating Hani’s assassination was a Hunger, promoting good potentially cataclysmic event Hani’s most enduring value is Health and Housing for all. that simultaneously threatened that of selflessness and These three Hs of Health, to derail South Africa’s sacrifice. He is known to have Housing and Hunger guide our democracy project, as its openly declared “I have never work as a city and realising orchestrators had intended, but wanted to spare myself them is our tribute to this also galvanised the country to because I feel there are people revolutionary giant, who was embark on the last leg of the who are no longer around and granted freedom of the city in journey towards the historic died for this struggle. What November 2006. 1994 general election. right do I have to hold back, to 2. Executive Mayor Cllr Mzwandile Masina laying a wreath during the previous Chris Hani’s commemoration Our 93 clinics all enjoy ideal which is aimed at stimulating limit our movement and status and are ready to serve as economic activity through observe strict hygiene sites for the National Health tourism. Hani would have measures. Insurance (NHI) and makes us wanted the museum to one of the best regions in stimulate economic activities to If Hani were alive today, his call primary health care in the benefit primarily his to the global leadership would country. On housing, we set neighbouring community of be for calm and solutions in the ourselves the target of Dawn Park but also the wider midst of an epidemic. Hani providing 100 000 during our community of Ekurhuleni. He would call for the term of office and to date, we would want to see the museum strengthening of global public have provided 30 000 houses and the Memorial Park named health systems and and 59 000 serviced stands to in his honour and situated next improvement of universal improve access to housing. As to his grave contribute directly access to health. For South a city, we spend R4 billion towards the creation of jobs, to Africa, he would refuse to allow towards cushioning the poor help fight unemployment in the us to rest on the laurels of against the effects of hunger country. As he often used to global praise we are receiving and poverty and believe this is say “if you want peace, you for our handling of the crisis among the highest levels of must fight for social justice.” and instead call for a rollout of expenditure for the poor and an aggressive screening, indigent. Hani was also a believer in testing and treatment active citizenship and would programme at no cost to the We must maintain and improve expect South Africans to citizens. Post Covid19, he on these standards to truly remain actively engaged with would call for the preservation honour the legacy of fallen the government between of jobs and livelihoods by heroes like Hani, Thomas elections and hold all public strengthening and reviving Nkobi, Bertha Gxowa and representatives, from economies. Margaret Gazo among many councillors to members of others. parliament and the executive, We need his wisdom now more accountable. He would also than when he was brutally The Chris Hani Museum is a expect us to play our part taken away from us. His spirit critical component of whenever called upon, such as lives on. Ekurhuleni’s struggle route, now when we are expected to 3. A struggle icon’s life in words and pictures. The Chris Hani Museum The life and times of SACP 24th March in 2017 before struggle and the negotiated stalwart and liberation struggle being unveiled by former transition for a free and icon Chris Hani are fittingly paid president Jacob Zuma on April democratic South Africa.” The tribute to in the Chris Hani 10 2017. citation from SAHRA reads. It Museum and the Chris Hani tells of his role as leader of monument and Walk of Thomas Nkobi is a former the Luthuli Detachment in the Remembrance respectively Treasurer General of the ANC Wankie Campaign and was located at his home and his who played a key part in the instrumental in the drafting of grave in Dawn Park, a suburb of liberation struggle after joining the “Hani Memorandum” Boksburg in Ekurhuleni. the ANC in 1950. At the time which ultimately led to the The Chris Hani monument in of his death in 1994 at the age Morogoro Conference in 1969 South Park cemetery now of 72, he was an ANC Member which brought about strategic known as the Thomas Nkobi of Parliament. changes within the ANC. Memorial Garden was unveiled at the 2015 anniversary of his “Chris Hani, was a well SAHRA further notes Hani as a death while the South African respected and revered leader strong proponent of the Heritage Resource Agency of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), peaceful negotiations after (SAHRA) declared his grave and the South African Communist the unbanning of liberation the Chris Hani Memorial and Party and senior ranking ANC movements and played a Walk of Remembrance as a official, who played an critical role in the MK National Heritage site on the important role in the liberation abandoning the armed 4. struggle. “His assassination The Memorial and Walk of Wattville, then through the Hani brought the country to the brink remembrance are characterised Memorial and museum and of civil war that led to Nelson by the use of simple material takes in the Khumalo Street in Mandela’s plea, in what is rich earthy tones to show nearby Thokoza, which has a regarded as a “presidential” capture the essence of the life of memorial in honour of those statement, for calm and for all simplicity that Hani exemplified. who died in intense political South Africans to stand together The Monument consists of the violence in the early 90s. in ensuring a peaceful transition. four pillars of the liberation “The tensions at the time struggle. The Walk of The museum is created from the hastened the CODESA Remembrance is a short compact home that Hani and his negotiations and an agreement meandering route that leads to family made their home in the on a date for the first a Wall of Remembrance for early 90s, when Dawn Park was democratic elections,” the fallen struggle heroes. still a predominantly white citation says of the historical neighbourhood. The house has moment. Ekurhuleni executive Mayor been restored to its original Mzwandile Masina sees the state at the time of Hani’s Finally, the agency notes that his museum and Memorial Park as a passing. Its four bedrooms and gravesite and the Chris Hani critical part of a Struggle route living area now serves as a Memorial and Walk of that can be explored by local tribute to various aspects of Remembrance commemorate and international tourists.
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