The Constitutional Court ruled on Monday that Chris Hani’s killer Janusz Walus is eligible for parole and should be released within 10 days.
PRETORIA – The Constitutional Court ruled on Monday that Chris Hani’s killer Janusz Walus is eligible for parole and should be released within 10 days.
Walus’ release comes after numerous failed applications, with the first parole hearing held in 2011. He tried again in November 2013, April 2015 and in October 2017.
In January 2019, the then Minister of Justice again reconsidered Walus parole and again refused it, this time citing conflicting psychological reports from three experts which he said made it difficult to make a decision.
After the Constitutional Court judgment, a visibly upset Limpho Hani, who has consistently opposed parole for the convicted Polish murderer, said the court was not concerned with justice.
“I have been in and out of court, and Walus lost all the cases. Now these ones, because in South Africa they are Gods, what they say goes. I wish them the best, you know about Karma, watch the space all of them, I give them two years…. This judgment is diabolical.
“And my understanding of Zondo’s judgment as he was talking, indirectly, he says Walus did well to kill my husband.
“Now, let me tell you, if my husband was not killed, we would never have had elections … That’s why today Zondo and his friends are in court, otherwise we would still be under apartheid, he would be in a shack doing his practice.”
Chris Hani was the leader of the South African Communist Party (SACP) and chief of staff of uMkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the ANC.
The general secretary of the SACP, Solly Mapaila, who was also in court, said the judgment was disappointing and based on a lot inconsistency.
According to Mapaila, Walus had never shown remorse for what he had done.
“Justice has given birth to injustice today and this is our history, unfortunately the midwives of democracy and justice in this country, have become the victims of it.”
