Johannesburg – The deportation of Janusz Waluś, the paroled killer of SA Communist Party (SACP) Secretary General Chris Hani, to his homeland Poland after he completed his parole has been met with dismay by political parties.
The Polish right-wing extremist assassinated Hani, the SA Communist Party (SACP) Secretary General in 1993.
He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. After serving 28 years in prison, Waluś was released on parole in 2022 following a Constitutional Court ruling.
Today, Friday 6 December 2024, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni announced the deportation of Waluś to Poland from South Africa on Friday, (6 December 2024).
“Today, the 6th December 2024, the parole period of Janus Walus has come to an end, in line with the Constitutional Court decision,” the minister said.
“Since Janus Walus no longer holds any South African enabling documents, the Department of Home Affairs will be deporting him.”
The deportation of Waluś to his homeland, Poland, has been met with different responses from political parties.
The SACP said: “Through the past 31 years since the sentencing of Waluś and his co-conspirator, one Clive Derby-Lewis who has since died while on medical parole, our stance remained resolute: both the convicted assassins should have rotted in jail.
“We demanded full disclosure of the truth about Hani’s assassination.
“To achieve this, we opposed both amnesty and parole for the convicted assassins and called for an inquest into Hani’s assassination towards closure for the family.”
The SACP said the Constitutional Court’s order on 21 November 2022, under the leadership of Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, granting Waluś parole within 10 days, remains a source of profound anger and disappointment.
“This is true not only for the Hani family and the SACP but also for millions of South Africans, of whom the majority is the working class,” the party said.
Detailing events leading to the deportation, the SACP said this week, the government “reached out to Comrade Limpho Hani, Chris Hani’s widow, to arrange a meeting regarding Waluś’ release”.
The SACP added: “Comrade Limpho, as a matter of principle, ensured the SACP’s presence at the meeting held on the evening of Thursday, (6 December 2024).
“SACP General Secretary Comrade Solly Mapaila led the party’s delegation, which included the legal representative of the Hani family and the SACP.”
The government delegation was headed by Deputy President Paul Mashatile and included three ministers.
“While the Hani family and the SACP acknowledged the government’s effort to reach out to the family and the Party, this was on the eve of the end of the assassin’s parole,” said the SACP.
The meeting occurred at 8 PM, a few hours before the assassin’s parole ended at midnight.
“A deportation plan for Waluś, who is neither a South African citizen nor a permanent resident, was already finalised and set to commence the next morning, 6 December 2024,” lamented the SACP.
“The eleventh-hour notification clearly appeared to be the result of how the Department of Correctional Services, under Minister Dr Pieter Groenewald – leader of the Freedom Front Plus – handled the matter.
“The Hani family and the SACP voiced deep concerns over this disregard and urged the Deputy President to provide Cabinet feedback.
“We made it clear: no family of apartheid-era or other victims should ever be treated in this manner.”
The SACP said its stance was a joint appeal grounded in justice and humanity.
“Additionally, Comrade Limpho Hani and Comrade Mapaila presented the joint call by the Hani family and the SACP for an inquest into Chris Hani’s assassination,” the SACP said.
“The parole granted to Waluś disregarded the fact that neither he nor his co-conspirators have fully disclosed the truth surrounding the assassination.
“Justice remains incomplete, and the Hani family, the SACP, and the working class continue to suffer the painful absence of closure.”
The SACP said while unrepentant racists and right-wingers in South Africa and Poland may view Waluś as their hero, he is a convicted assassin who sought to defend the perpetuation of the racist regime of apartheid and its social relations.
“We will not rest until the full truth is uncovered, justice is served and the revolutionary values Hani stood for are fully realised,” the SACP said.
The party’s tripartite partner, the African National Congress said the deportation of Waluś “without a full confession” of his actions an “injustice to the country”.
Also commenting on the deportation, the GOOD party said: “The news of the deportation of Chris Hani’s murderer Waluś is welcome.
“Having been released on parole two years ago, there was no benefit to South Africa in prolonging his stay in the country.”
The GOOD party said it supports the proposal to open an inquest into Hani’s murder.
“While we know about Waluś and Derby-Lewis’s roles, conspiracy theories about the involvement of other people abound and should be put to bed,” the party said.
