SACP demands full disclosure of the truth; remains opposed to parole for Hani’s assassin

7 October 2019

Representatives of the SACP and Hani family were in the North Gauteng High Court on Monday in opposition to parole for Janusz Walus, the assassin who murdered Chris Hani in cold blood on 10 April 1993. To this day there has been no full disclosure of the truth, of all the circumstances surrounding Hani’s assassination by Walus and his co-conspirator Clive Derby-Lewis. This stands in the way of justice taking its course and the Hani family as well as the SACP and other affected South Africans who fought for our democracy finding closure. It is very clear that there were other people complicit in Hani’s assassination, including those who took the murder weapon from military armoury, supplied the silencer, and developed the hit list.

The review application filed by Walus is directed at the decision by the former Minister of Justice Michael Masutha to not grant him parole in January 2019. The decision is resolutely being defended by the department.

The SACP and Hani family have consistently been fighting for justice to take its course. We made submissions to the parole board in December 2018 against parole for the convicted assassin, who remains unrepentant and unremorseful except for pretences calculated at securing parole. The assassin remains unrehabilitated from the underlying motive that drove him to commit the murder. The submissions made by the SACP and Hani family were before the court.

Judgment was reserved. We reserve the right to appeal in the event the review is granted and the grounds for appeal remain. SACP Officials the General Secretary Dr Blade Nzimande and Deputy National Chairperson Thulas Nxesi led SACP members and Limpho Hani represented her family.     

Issued by Ale Mohubetswane Mashilo, National Spokesperson & Head of Communications, SACP, 7 October 2019