Cape Town - A rowis brewing between Chris Hani’s widow and two women who say they are the daughters of the slain freedom fighter, prompting an investigation by the Home Affairs Department.
In a letter to Limpho Hani, director general Nkuseli Apleni said the department was investigating the authenticity of claims made by Vanessa Phidiwe Hani and Cleopatra Tunyiswa that they are Chris Hani’s daughters.
Hani was a leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe and general secretary of the SACP. He was assassinated outside his Boksburg home in 1993.
The letter reads: “I am aware the case was referred to the department on 1 June, 2013, and attempts were made to deal with this matter as a criminal matter with police. However, the police matter was not able to proceed as they did not feel they had enough evidence to open a criminal case.”
Apleni says the department’s records show the two women are not related to Chris Hani.
“This is based on documentary evidence they submitted to the department, which does not indicate Mr Chris Hani as their father.
“I am, therefore, satisfied the official departmental records of the two individuals are not supportive of their claims to be daughters of Mr Chris Hani.
“I am nevertheless still investigating the matter further and will be contacting the two individuals to appear before the department to assist with further queries.”
This week, Modiri Matthews, chief director of the Immigration Services inspectorate, said Limpho Hani had queried the claims.
He
added blood tests would “certainly assist this matter”. He didn’t elaborate.
Tunyiswa said from her Eastern Cape home this week she was the “spitting image of my father” and she had no idea why Limpho Hani was calling for an investigation.
“I don’t want her money. She can relax. If I did, I would have claimed a long time ago. Does she not remember the past? She came into my father’s life and I was already there.”
Limpho Hani could not be reached for comment at the time of publication.
Saturday Star