Chris Hani: We Have to Destroy that Regime
(Message from the Army Commissar, Chris Hani, to cadres of the People’s Army, Umkhonto we Sizwe, Luanda, Angola, June 1984)
“We are winding off a year of momentous events, a year of mass popular struggles. 1984 has been a year of popular victories as witnessed in the UDF-led (United Democratic Front-led) massive boycott of the Indian and ‘Coloured’ elections in August. The year was also marked by a militant boycott of schools by students and the drawing of the education charter. We observed a remarkable growth of trade unions in the background of trade union unity talks which are nearing fruition.
“We have died for these achievements. We are proud of them. It is Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) who launched attacks against an enemy which seemed impregnable. Had we not have been there all the time, systematically attacking the regime, we would not be speaking of these achievements. It is through a combination of these operations that we are where we are today.
“Our organisation has infused a new spirit in our people. They see themselves as their liberators. The African National Congress (ANC) has never enjoyed such massive support. We have never received such a response to our message of the year. Our people are responding to calls made by the ANC to build popular organisations and render enemy control over them impossible. Dummy institutions have been rendered powerless while in some townships the regime has not been ab
