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Hani not yet laid to rest

SHAUN DE WAAL | JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - Mar 29 2009 06:00

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A new book by political commentator RW Johnson is likely to rekindle the long-simmering controversy about the assassination of Chris Hani -- and the alleged role of Thabo Mbeki protegé and former defence minister Joe Modise.

At the SACP's 2007 congress newly elected chairperson Gwede Mantashe joined in the song "Thabo Mbeki, Tell us Who Killed Chris Hani". The Young Communist League has repeatedly called for the investigation into Hani's death to be reopened.

In South Africa's Brave New World: The Beloved Country since the End of Apartheid, released this week, Johnson says that Modise, head of Umkhonto weSizwe in exile, had most to gain from Hani's elimination and was most likely to have had the means to support silently the right-wing plot against Hani by Janusz Walus and Clive Derby-Lewis in 1993.

Johnson says that Mbeki may not have known about the Modise plot but that he protected Modise -- especially in relation to the arms deal that vastly enriched the latter. Modise is shown as an Mbeki ally in his rise to the top of the ANC and in his rivalry with Hani.

Johnson writes that in the 1950s Modise was a "township thug", a leader of the feared Spoilers gang in Alexandra township. He later became Nelson Mandela's bodyguard and a founder member of MK.

Former MK operative Sibusiso Madlala told Johnson that both Hani and Joe Slovo distrusted Modise and thought he was an apartheid agent. "Whoever got in Bra Joe's way tended to get caught by the Boers' security police on their next mission … Everyone in the ANC was frightened of him. They knew he had killed people himself, that he was completely ruthless and that he had presided over mass torture and executions in the MK punishment camps like Quatro."

In 1968 Hani wrote a famous letter to the ANC leadership complaining that, while MK soldiers suffered in the camps, leaders such as Modise, whom he mentioned by name, lived the high life.

Modise was known for his extravagant lifestyle in Zambia, partly financed by a racket in stolen cars, which he ran with ANC treasurer Tom Nkobi, Johnson writes.

Modise's response to the Hani letter was to demand the execution of Hani and his co-signatories. They were saved only by Oliver Tambo's intervention.

CONTINUES BELOW

Hani later became MK second-in-command and Modise's rival for the top job, as well as being vastly popular in MK and in South Africa. He was viewed as Mbeki's most plausible rival to succeed Tambo.

Johnson considers the evidence that Modise was a double agent "overwhelming", citing former apartheid security policemen he interviewed.

Modise returned to South Africa in 1990 "determined to become the first ANC defence minister" and "began to meet with foreign arms dealers now swarming the country in search of the inevitable post-sanctions arms deal".

Johnson writes that in 1993 Hani confronted Modise with the knowledge that he (Modise) had sold off an ANC arms cache for R2.5-million and pocketed the money. "Two weeks later Hani was shot dead."

Johnson argues that the intelligence services of the ANC and the white Nationalist government, which were already cooperating, got wind of the assassination plot by Walus and Derby-Lewis -- and one or both rendered invisible assistance.

They then made sure the assassins were caught. Walus "carried out the hit in full sight of a white woman, who was able to give a description of him, his … car and its registration -- and yet [Walus] himself had not seen her."

The witness vanished and Walus was arrested 10 minutes after driving away from the scene.

The M&G reported in 1997 that a double agent called Ramon Laher told his National Intelligence Service handler, Eugene Riley, of a plot to kill Hani days before it took place. Laher later told the M&G that "operatives on both sides of the spectrum", ANC leaders and ANC intelligence were involved.

Laher "went to ground" after the Truth Commission sought to interview him. He gave Riley documents supporting his view, but Riley was mysteriously murdered eight months after Hani's death.

Mathews Phosa, who conducted the ANC's internal investigation into the assassination, told the M&G there was a "wider conspiracy", writes Johnson. Further, he says KwaZulu-Natal leader Sifiso Nkabinde said a policeman, Leonard Radu, who investigated Hani's death, was murdered. Nkabinde was assassinated soon afterwards.

According to Johnson journalists attempting to follow up the story about Hani's death have been threatened.

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Comments

A new book by political commentator RW Johnson is likely to rekindle the long-simmering controversy about the assassination of Chris Hani -- and the alleged role of Thabo Mbeki protegé and former defence minister Joe Modise.

Many comrades through out South Africa are talking about Hani's death even today and Thabo Mbeki's involvement. It is no longer discussed in behind close doors.

NPA failed former President Thabo Mbeki and if they want integrity and respect, NPA and South Africans should re-open arms deals and create amnesty for those involved including Modise,Mbeki,and Zuma. At the end of the day.

We should move forward as a country. Our enemy is not arms deal and criminals involved in the arms deal but its HIV&AIDS, crime, unemployment, poverty and violence against women.

NPA must close Zuma cases for now, and re-open the whole arms deal process. Even if big names are implicated its fine and the country will forgive them.

If Joe Modise was involved in arms deal and assassinated Chris Hani, why protecting him? We cannot protect Joe Modise, is gone. South African are ready to forgive their own leadership, as we have done so to apartheid agencies. NPA was given instruction by TRC (Advocate Ntsebeza TRC head)to prosecute apartheid agents but failed to do that for the sake of peace. NPA should or must adopt some approach and drop charges against Zuma and re-open arms deal.

I hope Mr. Thabo Mbeki is learning that to keep quiet its not always helping, quiet diplomacy is destroying him. What is interesting about arms deal including ANC arms deal and Hani's death is that Jacob Zuma was leading ANC intelligent unit(he knows everything) and Zuma protecting his friend Thabo. To protect former presidents Mbeki and Mandela is to protect the integrity of the country.

Peace is more important that investors and personal integrity. Please drop charges against Zuma and start afresh before 1992.

Mbulelo Dyasi
Human Rights and AIDS activist.

Mbulelo Dyasi on March 29, 2009, 10:03 am

There are so many worms and skeletons in many important peoples closets that our news is always going to be worth reading for a long time to come. One day the truth will emerge. There is nowhere to hide!!!

Shelgrog Shocked on March 29, 2009, 10:37 am

One wonders how these "new" details link with others, such as "Inside ANC Quadro" by Paul Trewhela, and the Mzwai Piliso's Series in Inside Politics blog.

South African history needs to be re-written, so that it is not only confined to some literature or books which are only available to some few individuals.

Zongz Tshobas on March 29, 2009, 11:55 am

R.W.Johnson's book is one that Shawn De Waal ought to have reviewed with more critical scrutiny. Lazily promoting a conspiracy theory long after an open court decision cleanly slapped the blame on the white right-wing, doesn't make the theory any truer. Johnson can write what he likes, and maybe he does have the intellectual prestige to do so convincingly, but there is no reason to accept what he writes at face value without probing his thesis with the seriousness that he wants us to presume that he has taken in putting it together. You could do better than this Shawn. The truth can only be settled by a journalism that dugs under the surface of such transparent posturing as Johnson has produced.

Trotsky Trotsky on March 29, 2009, 3:47 pm

Mbulelo, peace is a really great thing, however if the price is to sacrifice integrity and morality for the sake of it, it has horrific consequences. There is no problem about being honest and putting the errors of the past behind us, however this requires an honest acknowledgement and for each person to make amends, learn from them and make restitution. If we just gloss over these errors or omissions, we will be fated to repeat them, ad nauseam. Do you really want the best for our nation, then be uncompromising and committed to the truth. When anyone sacrifices their integrity, they give away the most precious thing they can ever posses.

Andrew Lawrence on March 29, 2009, 6:09 pm

I want to read the book, but from what i read here is that the writer wrote only what he want us to believe and omitted all that can contradict what he want us to believe

Kwena Mokgohloa on March 30, 2009, 7:45 pm

I am not sure if this is political mind game but why is this only coming out now.

Pussy Galore on April 3, 2009, 12:39 pm

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