“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. It is about overcoming the huge divide between urban and rural areas. It is about a decent education for all our people. Socialism is about rolling back the tyranny of the market. As long as the economy is dominated by an unelected, privileged few, the case for socialism will exist.” -Chris Hani Chris Hani assassinated by cowardly white supremacists in 1993 before fair elections were held in South Africa was one of the great leaders of the anti-apartheid movement. Known as Comrade Chris, he had a long history of struggle and served with uMkhonto we Sizwe during the Wankie campaign, an attempt to set up a road into South Africa for MK fighters through the then white-ruled Zimbabwe. At that time merely a Cadre of the MK, Hani stood up to the African National Congress leadership for their corruption and failure to lead the campaign. The angry ANC executive committee expelled him from the congress. However, during the resulting Morogoro conference of the ANC, he was validated and reinstated. His criticisms lead to the severe restructuring of the ANC on the basis of greater internal democracy and he was elected to the CC of the South African Communist Party soon afterwards. Hani’s commitment to struggle for liberation and internationalism mark him as a true giant of the freedom struggle in southern Africa. White supremacists can never silence the results of his life of struggle for black liberation and socialism.
