Thousands of people gathered in the University of Transkei stadium near Umtata in the Eastern Cape on Sunday to pay tribute to slain SA Communist Party (SACP) leader, Chris Hani.
Hani was assassinated in front of his Boksburg home on April 10, 1993, by right-wing extremists.
A representative for the SACP, Solly Mapaila, said almost 20 000 people attended the rally addressed by, amongst others, ANC chairman Mosiuoa Lekota, Congress of SA Trade Unions president Willie Madisha and SACP general-secretary Blade Nzimande.
”The people were ecstatic,” Mapaila said.
”The mood was similar to when Nelson Mandela was released from prison. We struggled for 10 minutes to get the people to stop singing so that Blade (Nzimande) could deliver his speech.”
He said the message conveyed to the crowd by Nzimande was to never allow the memory of Chris Hani to die.
”His memory has inspired not only the liberation movement, but thousands of people as well. We must keep that memory alive.”
Members of the Hani family attended the rally and were given an opportunity to speak. The entire village of Sabalele, near Cofimvaba, where Hani was born, attended and a group of elderly women dedicated a song and dance routine to him.
Mapaila said several other activities have been planned for the rest of the month.
On Tuesday, the Chris Hani Leadership Institute would be launched in Johannesburg with several memorial lectures scheduled to take place. – Sapa