Hani

Book excerpt: 'This is an excellent portrayal of the Chris I knew. Not one word of exaggeration, so large was Chris. His contribution to our freedom is inestimable.' – Mavuso Msimang, ANC veteran and former member of the military high command of uMkhonto we Sizwe Chris Hani's assassination in 1993 gave rise to two of South Africa's greatest political questions. If he had survived, what impact would he have had on the ANC government? And could this charismatic man have risen to become president of the country? In the 30th anniversary year of his murder by right-wing fanatics, this updated version of the seminal biography of Hani re-evaluates his legacy and traces his life from his childhood in rural Transkei to the crisis in the ANC camps in the 1980s and the perilous last 36 months he spent back home rallying for South Africa's freedom. Drawing on interviews with those who knew him, this vividly written book provides a detailed account of the life of a hero of South Africa's liberation, who was both an intellectual and a fighter.