Riyaz Patel
Lawyers representing convicted murderer Janusz Walus have asked the High Court in Pretoria to set aside then Justice Minister Michael Masutha’s decision to deny the killer parole.
Walus is currently serving a life sentence for gunning down SACP leader Chris Hani outside his Boksburg home in 1993.
South African Communist Party General Secretary (SACP) Blade Nzimande says Polish immigrant Walus must rot in jail for killing Hani. Nzimande and Hani’s widow, Limpho, were attending Monday’s proceedings at the High Court.
The decision by former minister of justice Michael Masutha not to place Janusz Walus on parole should not be reviewed and set aside, Masutha’s legal team argued.
Advocate Roelof du Plessis, on behalf of Walus, said his client had shown “remorse” for his actions, having apologised to the family and is undergoing extensive rehabilitation.
“He admits to rationalising [his actions] before, during and shortly after he committed the crime but presently, he has a different view of the matter altogether,” du Plessis said.
He added that Masutha was biased in his decision earlier this year, and that the former minister had “simply noted” critical information from clinical and social workers’ reports which, he added “indicates bias and not taking into account relevant considerations.”
Advocate Marumo Moerane, appearing on behalf of the former minister, said the assertion that Walus was remorseful was unfounded.
“This opinion that [Walus] showed no remorse for the murder of Chris Hani … this appears on his clinical observations.”
Nzimande says Walus has failed to tell the truth on who hired him to kill Hani.
“Now, this is being complicated by the fact that even experts are saying he has no remorse, he still remains a communist and has not changed his ideas about what he did politically. Although he tries to say he is sorry about having assassinated Chris Hani, the father and the husband, he is not sorry for having assassinated Chris Hani the communist,” said Nzimande.
Moerane added that Walus had only apologised to the family some 20 years after the fact, saying that he still maintained the philosophical ideals that underpinned the murder.
“His experience moulded his perceptions in South Africa and encouraged his strong opinions against communist leadership. His opinions regarding communist leadership still remain, he acknowledges that even though it was an instruction from a higher ranking official than himself, he takes responsibility for planning and implementing the murder.”
Judgement has been reserved.
