Born 28 June 1942, in Cofimvaba Transkei Martin Thembisile Hani changed his name to Chris, due to being wanted as an anti-apartheid activist. In 1957 Chris Hani joined the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL), and was active in the Eastern and Western Cape regions before leaving South Africa as an exile in 1962, living in Botswana and Zambia.
In 1973 he secretly entered South Africa and made his base in Lesotho. In 1974 he became an ANC NEC member. During the year of 1982, after several assassination attempts as he was now the Commissar and deputy commander of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the armed wing of the ANC, Hani left for Lusaka, Zambia.
In 1987, he became Chief of Staff to MK and in 1991 Hani became the General Secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP). Chris Hani was assassinated on April 10, 1993, outside of his home in Boksburg. Chris Hani and Madiba had a long and close working relationship.
As seen in this image Nelson Mandela talks to Chris Hani at the African National Congress (ANC) conference in Durban 1990.
“There is no passion to be found playing small in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” ~ Nelson Mandela
An emotional Brenda Fassie, South African pop diva, embraces Mandela....
Madiba laughs as his shoe comes off while kicking a soccer ball....
In 1991, Nelson Mandela received an Honorary Doctorate at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg for his commitment to the country ...
Mandela and other activists had an array of supporters that came to the court each time defendants were summoned. Pictured is a young Madiba...