The Gauteng High Court on Friday denied parole for Janusz Walus, a Polish immigrant convicted of killing South African Communist Party leader Chris Hani 28 years ago as the country was transitioning from apartheid to democracy.
Walus failed to convince the court in Pretoria that he should be released from serving a life sentence for shooting Hani dead outside his Johannesburg home in 1992.
Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola denied Walus parole in March 2020, and the court’s ruling was meant to legally uphold the minister’s decision.
Denying Walus parole, Lamola said Hani’s assassination, taking place at the most politically sensitive period in the transition, was designed to destabilise the country, with the potential to bring about civil war within the country.
This is the latest failure by Walus to seek freedom for committing the heinous crime, having failed to win parole several times before in the past.
According to South African law, before Walus could be considered for parole, his victim’s relatives and the justice minister must be consulted and agree to the request.
In the past, Hani’s widow Limpho had utterly refused to the release of Walus on parole, leaving the minister with no choice but to deny granting him his wishes.
NM/jn/APA