Justice minister has 120 days to make fresh decision on parole for Janusz Walus

07 September 2018 - 09:08
By Prega Govender
Janusz Walus, Chris Hani's killer during his amnesty hearing at Benoni Town Hall.
Image: Gallo Images/Oryx Media Archive Janusz Walus, Chris Hani's killer during his amnesty hearing at Benoni Town Hall.

The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has given Justice Minister Michael Masutha 120 days to reconsider his refusal to grant SACP leader Chris Hani's killer‚ Janusz Walus‚ parole.

Judge Selby Baqwa set aside the minister's refusal to grant Walus parole and ordered him to reconsider the matter. Walus's legal representative‚ Julian Knight‚ said that the court did not substitute Judge Baqwa's decision but that the matter was referred back to the minister to make a new decision.

"In the interim‚ we are to address certain issues we were prevented from doing at the close of the proceedings before the previous decision was made‚" Knight said.

He said the parole board chairman had written a report making many negative findings which were factually incorrect‚

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"He also omitted from his report certain courses that the offender had already done so when the minister was faced with this report‚ he picked and chose what suited him from that and made a negative decision."

Knight said he viewed Thursday’s judgment with "mixed feelings‚ adding: "It's like being in a revolving door. We are going around and around in circles."

"Given the relationship between the ANC and the Communist Party‚ I don't believe that the minister is capable of an impartial decision. I don't believe he can be. He's part of the tripartite alliance."

Walus‚ 63‚ has spent 25 years in the Kgosi Mampuru Prison in Pretoria for the assassination of Hani in April 1993.