14 April 2003
The SACP and COSATU are proud to announce the launch of the Chris Hani Institute which will take place as detailed below:
DATE - Tuesday, 15 April 2003
TIME - 15h30 - 18h30
VENUE- Parktonian Hotel, Jorissen Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg
Dr. Pallo Jordan, member of the ANC National Working Committee and MP, will deliver the Inaugural Chris Hani Lecture hosted by the Chris Hani Institute. The Launch will also witness the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Institute and the Rosa Luxembourg Foundation.
Extract from Umsebenzi Online on the Chris Hani Institute
"At its 7th Congress held in September 2000, COSATU took a resolution to establish such an Institute, as an autonomous working class think-tank and “academy to provide education and training for selected youth, stewards and officials.” COSATU had identified the urgent need in the current period, for cadre development in order to deepen class consciousness, to build organisation, to build the capacity of trade unionists and shop stewards to engage and to develop a layer of intellectual representatives of the working class.
One of the key features of apartheid South Africa was that almost all the foundations that were in existence largely served and were controlled by the rich and professional classes, with minimal focus on the interests of the overwhelming majority of the people. Since 1990, with the exception of institutions like the Nelson Mandela and Steve Biko Foundations, South Africa has seen an emergence of even more foundations and think-tanks primarily focused on the interests of the better off, including racially or ethnically defined interests. The strengthening of democracy in South Africa principally rests in the promotion and betterment of the overwhelming majority of its people – wjo are predominantly black, African, working class and poor. Other than government, major institutions of society – business, media, cultural institutions – still largely serve a white, male rich and middle class society, to the extent that the interests of the working class and poor are relegated to the bottom.
It is also in the realm of ideas and communication that there is hardly any systematic advocacy of the interests of the working class and the poor in broader society. Most experts are either drawn from the ranks of the better off or they tend to advocate for the interests of the better off. Yet the battle of ideas is intensifying around the kind of South Africa we want to build.
The establishment of such an Institute is an important dimension in this battle of ideas, and it would definitely contribute towards enhancing the voice, ideas and aspirations of the working class and the poor through engaging in the public domain and engaging other major institutions of South African society. For COSATU and the SACP this voice is concretely about engaging strategically in order to advance the interests of the working class and promoting socialist ideas and debate.
The life and memory of Chris Hani has become one of the major symbols for the aspirations of the working class and the poor in South Africa. His life, sacrifices, dedication and example captured a person whose entire life was dedicated to the service of ordinary working people and the poor. Whilst South Africa has many heroes and heroines who lived and died for similar aspirations, but Chris Hani was murdered on the eve of the beginnings of the realisation of the aspirations of the majority of South Africans. His assassination also directly led to the securing of 27 April 1994 as the date for the first ever democratic elections in South Africa. His memory lives fondly in the hearts and minds of millions of South African, particularly the working class and the poor. This Institute would serve to institutionalise his memory, but most importantly, as a monument to the aspirations of the ordinary working people and the poor in South Africa.
One of the many outstanding qualities of comrade Chris Hani was his ability to make revolutionary and socialist ideas accessible to workers and the poor. Therefore an important aim of the institute would be to continue this legacy, by researching and developing progressive and socialist alternatives, making socialist ideas accessible, promoting and popularising democratic and socialist alternatives. In addition it will equip shop stewards, trade union officials, community activists, women worker leaders and the children of the working class and the poor with the knowledge and the confidence to take the struggle for democracy and socialism to their communities, their workplaces, public spaces, the media, government – essentially all of society.
It will be an institute guided in its work by the reality that South Africa seeks to resolve three interrelated contradictions – class, national and gender – not in isolation from, but in relationship to each other. It will seek to deliberately influence SA’s transition in the interests of overwhelming majority – study the transition and develop alternatives beyond the terrain of capitalism. We need to create space for revolutionaries to reflect on alternatives, to envision the real possibilities for change. Too often we are caught up with responding to neo-liberal policy proposals and trying to find ways to ameliorate their effects on workers. While reforms may be necessary in any revolution, it is critical to continuously create space to think outside of the bounds of capitalism, so that reforms do not become the end point.
It is also our hope that the Institute will seek to train, equip women worker leaders as a very important dimension of confronting and seeking to address the gender contradication in our society. Even the minimal educational opportunities available to women worker leaders, they are mainly in the mould of neo-liberal training and education.
It will strive to serve and promote the social, economic, political, ideological and cultural interests of the working class and the poor. In doing this it will also embark on strategic studies, policy analysis and advocacy on policies and working class driven programmes for socio-economic transformation. It should also embark on activities aimed at improving opportunities for meaningful economic empowerment of the working class and the poor through promoting the economic and developmental interests, social and political awareness of these sectors of society, including literacy and other working class and community education activities
The institute will also network and link up with relevant similar organisations sharing similar goals in South Africa and globally, with particular emphasis on the African continent and the South in general."
Mazibuko K. Jara (surname Jara)
Department of Media, Information & Publicity
South African Communist Party
3rd Floor, COSATU House, 1-5 Leyds Street
Braamfontein, 2017, Republic of South Africa
Tel: 27 11 339-3621/2, Fax: 27 11 339-4244,Cell: 083 651 0271
Email - mazibuko@sacp.org.za