Hani family feel ‘betrayed’ by Walus parole decision

The family of Thembisile Chris Hani in his home village of Sabalele, in Cofimvaba, believe the Constitutional Court’s decision to order that his killer, Janusz Walus, be released on parole is a betrayal.

On Monday, Chief Justice Raymond Zondo ordered Walus’s release within 10 days.

The judge set aside justice & correctional services minister Ronald Lamola’s decision in 2020 to deny Walus parole.

Walus was sentenced to death, later commuted to life imprisonment, after he was found guilty of killing Hani, the SACP secretary-general, in Boksburg in 1993.

“More than 15 years has lapsed since [Walus] became eligible for consideration to be placed on parole,” Zondo said in his ruling.

“It was in 2005 that [Walus] became eligible to be considered for placement on parole.

“The evidence reveals that during his imprisonment, all these years since 1993, [Walus] has had no negative disciplinary record in prison.”

But Hani’s family said the court’s decision had left them in a state of disbelief.

Mphatheli Hani, whose father, Mbuyiselo, is Chris’s brother, said the decision was not taken in the interest of justice.

“We were shocked when the judgment was delivered on Monday. We feel really betrayed by the justice system.

“We are not in any way attacking the country’s judiciary system, but we will continue to add our voices on the matter.

“We are of the firm belief, as Mama Limpho [Hani’s widow] has put it, that the court was going to come up with a decision to vindicate the family over the matter.”

Hani said they believed the court’s decision had not taken into account the interests of the family.

“We understand the systems of the law to be broad and expansive in terms of accommodating the rights of the perpetrators and victims.

“But in this instance we are convinced that Chief Justice Zondo’s decision was never done in consideration of the rights of the victims, which is the family.

“The decision only considered Walus’s rights and not those of the victims.”

The family claimed Walus had never shown remorse for his actions.

“We are mindful of the country’s parole laws. But this man was categorical in his hatred of Uncle Chris when he murdered him.

“He remains unrepentant and has not divulged the information which could shed light on all the people he worked with to kill Chris.

“Walus remains a coldblooded assassin.

“We respect the courts, but in this case we are unhappy with the decision.”

Hani said the family had wanted Walus to continue serving his sentence “until he divulges the reasons that led him to kill Uncle Chris to the satisfaction of the family — he has not done that”.

He added: “We are of the view that Uncle Chris’s killing was part of a broader political conspiracy involving many people.”

Walus’s application for parole has been denied at least twice by the department of justice and correctional services.

His co-accused, Clive Derbylewis, who was found guilty of conspiring with Walus to kill Hani, was released on medical parole in 2015 and died in 2016.

Derby-lewis had also been sentenced to life imprisonment.