As the topic surrounding the release of former SACP leader Chris Hani’s killer, Janusz Walus’ release on parole is still trending, ex-South African ambassador to Qatar Faizel Moosa has slammed the courts.
Moosa argues the South African justice system is flawed because Hani fought for democracy and Walus can’t be freed because the country lost a principled leader.
Hani was killed in assassination style in April 1993 outside his Boksburg home, Ekurhuleni and many South Africans are still angry following the ruling that Walus will be released.
As announced by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo earlier this week, Moosa says Walus still needs to serve more time behind bars as he was sentenced to life in prison.
“If it wasn’t for (Nelson) Mandela making that statement that he did ask for calm and forcing the (FW) de Klerk government to come up with a date for elections. I mean, de Klerk couldn’t even do that. I mean, it took Mandela to calm down the situation,” argued Moosa.
Together with Clive Derby-Lewis, Polish-born Walus did not apologise to the Hani family and Moosa believes that is ‘outrageous’.
Hani was 51 at the time and was also the chief of staff of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the ruling African National Congress (ANC).
“The fact that he never apologised not only to the Hani family to the, to the political parties but to South Africans,” added Moosa.
“He derailed, it first took us to the country to the edge of civil war, as I said, and then it derailed the future of our country.”
Walus’ co-accused Derby-Lewis, who supplied the gun that shot Hani, was released in 2015 on medical parole after spending 22 years behind bars before succumbing to lung cancer in 2016 at the age of 80.
Adding salt to the wound is none other than Umkhonto Wesizwe Military Veterans Association through Carl Niehaus who alleged that the ANC was part of the plot to kill Hani.
“As the MKMVA, we have no doubt whatsoever that comrade Chris Hani was not only assassinated by two individual right-wingers — Clive Derby-Lewis and Janusz Walus — acting in isolation,” charged Niehaus.
“No! It was indeed a much bigger and more intricate, carefully worked-out assassination plot. We know in our hearts of hearts that the very senior leaders within the national democratic revolution were intimately involved in the formulation and execution of that evil plan.”
ANC presidential hopeful, Dr. Zweli Mkhize also added his voice to the public outcry, saying Hani was a source of hope and inspiration.
“We feel the pain that [Hani’s wife] Mam’Limpho feels. We feel that pain. Chris Hani was a source of hope, an inspiration, even when things were difficult,” said Mkhize in Katlehong.
“When Chris Hani came around, just his mere stamina got you to say we’re [going to war].
“This was the man… to suddenly disappear and then we’re told one day [the man who killed him] has served enough. No.”
As reported by Entertainment SA, these sentiments come just after Hani’s widow, Limpho, cursed Zondo saying ‘karma’ will come back for taking such a ‘diabolical’ decision.
