NATIONAL NEWS - The Constitutional Court (ConCourt) has ruled that Chris Hani’s killer Janusz Walus be released on parole within 10 days.
In a unanimous judgement delivered by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, the ConCourt found that the decision by Justice Minister Ronald Ramola not to grant Walus parole in 2020 was irrational.
Walus, a Polish immigrant, is serving a life sentence at the Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Pretoria for killing Hani outside his home in Boksburg on 10 April 1993, with the support of Clive Derby-Lewis.
Hani was the South African Communist Party‘s (SACP) general secretary and a former uMkhonto we Sizwe commander.
Walus had asked the ConCourt to set aside the Supreme Court of Appeal’s (SCA) decision to dismiss his leave to appeal against the Pretoria High Court’s judgment that upheld the refusal of his parole by Lamola in March 2020.
Walus’ lawyer, Advocate Roelof du Plessis, argued that his client was reformed and had shown remorse for killing Hani.
Du Plessis also argued that Walus realised that apartheid was wrong and had apologised to the Hani family on several occasions.
Hani’s widow, Limpho, and the SACP have consistently opposed Walus’ attempts to be released from jail, citing the seriousness of the crime.
This is a developing story. More to follow.
