Johannesburg – Constitutional Court on Monday ruled that Janusz Walu? – the man who murdered anti-apartheid hero Chis Hani nearly 30 years ago – must be released on parole within 10 days.
The leader of the South African Communist Party and chief of staff of uMkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the African National Congress, was shot dead while stepping out of his car at his home in Dawn Park, Boksburg on 10 April 1993.
After several failed bids at securing parole, the Constitutional Court finally agreed to free the radical right-wing Polish immigrant Walu?.
He held dual Polish-South African citizenship from 1986 until his South African citizenship was revoked in 2017.
For years the Communist party and the family of Hani have opposed all attempts to free Walu?.
Earlier this year, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola even declined a parole recommendation, which was on Monday described as “irrational”.
Walu? asked the apex court to set aside the Supreme Court of Appeal’s decision to dismiss his leave to appeal against a high court judgment that upheld the refusal of his parole by the justice minister in March.
Delivering the Constitutional Court judgment Chief Justice Raymond Zondo said Walu? has served 28 years of his life sentence.
Reacting to the ruling Hani’s widow, Limpho, lambasted the justice system and described the judgment as “diabolical”.
