The South African Communist Party and the African National Congress accused of betraying Chris Hani's Legacy on 32nd assassination anniversary.
Image: Motshwari Mofokeng/ Independent newspapers
Thursday, April 10 marked the 32nd anniversary of Chris Hani’s assassination, a pivotal moment in South Africa’s liberation struggle. However, analysts have criticised self-enrichment of the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the African National Congress (ANC) for betraying what Hani stood for.
This year, commemorations took on new significance. For the first time, the SACP held its annual tribute outside Gauteng, in Cofimvaba, Eastern Cape, while the ANC organised a tribute in his honour.
The ANC is recognised as the leader of a three-way alliance, known as the Tripartite Alliance, with the SACP and Congress of South African Trade Unions.
However, amid the occasion's solemnity, political scientist Dr Clyde Ramalaine offered a sharp critique of the ANC and SACP leadership, challenging their representations of Hani’s legacy.
“The so-called comrades rarely mention Chris Hani’s name throughout the year. Yet, on 10 April, these very individuals emerged from 364 days of willful amnesia to publicly invoke the name of Martin Thembisile Hani.
“It must be stated unequivocally: Hani’s life did not begin and end on 10 April 1993.”
He emphasised that Hani's legacy far exceeds the day when Janusz Waluś carried out an assassination that served the interests of both white reactionaries and specific individuals within the ANC leadership.
Ramalaine's remarks underscore a growing sentiment that the commemorative events have become mere performances of remembrance, stripped of genuine reflection and accountability.
He questioned the sincerity of the ANC and SACP leaders, asking, “How, during the remaining 364 days of the year, do you meaningfully embody or advance the values Chris Hani lived and died for?”
The critique continued as he described the “Theatre of April 10”, where leaders invoke Hani’s name while failing to uphold his principles throughout the year.
“Where is your Chris Hani during the rest of the year?” he asked, pointing to instances of corruption and neglect that betray Hani’s vision for a just society.
“You have no authority to invoke his legacy if you will not live by it.”
He highlighted the recently approved 0.5% VAT increase as a prime example, noting how such policies burden people with low incomes while politically connected corporations evade scrutiny.
“Hani once warned against the rise of a black elite that becomes a carbon copy of what we fought against,” he noted, emphasising that this warning is now a daily reality.
Hani’s commitment to serving people experiencing poverty and advocating for a democracy rooted in justice starkly contrasts the current leadership, which Ramalaine argued has become disconnected from the values Hani championed.
He expressed deep concern over memorials dedicated to revolutionary figures, pointing out the neglect of sites like the Winnie Mandela Museum and Freedom Square.
In his analysis, Ramalaine described the ANC and SACP as “false prophets in struggle regalia”, suggesting that their actions betray the spirit of Hani’s legacy.
“The revolution Hani gave his life for has been turned into a lifestyle brand — an aesthetic of struggle without the substance of sacrifice.”
Ramalaine stressed that as South Africa reflects on Hani’s life and legacy, leaders must engage in meaningful introspection and accountability.
“Only then can the true spirit of Hani’s legacy be realised in the ongoing struggle for a just South Africa,” said Ramalaine.
thabo.makwakwa@inl.co.za
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