‘Political interference’ sank previous parole bids‚ claims lawyer for Chris Hani's killer

Limpho Hani‚ the widow of murdered South African Communist Party leader Chris Hani‚ is remaining mum on the parole application her late husband’s killer.

Janusz Walus launched his third parole application in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday.

Hani‚ approached for comment‚ said the family only commented through their lawyer. “We are not commenting‚” she said.

Walus is appealing to be released on parole and deported back to his home country of Poland.

Walus’s lawyer Roelof du Plessis argued earlier on Tuesday that his client had been unfairly prejudiced by Justice and Correctional Services Minister Michael Masutha‚ along with the parole board chairman‚ who he claimed had ignored multiple recommendations for Walus to be released on parole.

Du Plessis said it was normal procedure for prisoners who were in the country illegally or who had their citizenship revoked‚ as Walus has had‚ to be deported.

“I am not casting aspersions on the minister‚ but he is trying every reason not to grant Walus parole. One needs to look at what was before the minister and what he did and did not look at‚” he said.

Du Plessis said in August 2017‚ the Supreme Court of Appeal ordered that Masutha had to reconsider Walus's parole.

Masutha denied Walus parole in November 2017.

Du Plessis said: “Documents from the parole board showed Walus was a suitable candidate for parole. Everyone on the board said he was suitable for parole. But what happened? The chairman of the board wrote an extensive report saying why Walus should be refused parole.”

He said illustrations of Walus’s application being manipulated so he was not granted parole included a letter which the chairman of the board wrote to his client requesting him to provide evidence of the course he had completed while in prison.

“This included requests on anger management. The request letter was sent on 6 November 2017‚ yet the chairman had written his report saying why Walus should not be granted parole on 3 November 2017.”

He said Walus's prison case managers had written that he was the epitome of what correctional behaviour was and the effects of rehabilitation were.

“They found he should be given a second chance and reintegrated back into society‚ with his risk of reoffending low.

“None of this was referenced to in the reports by the Minister or the parole board chairman. Instead they elevated two other minor points raised by Walus's social worker‚ without questioning her over them‚ and took them out of context and used these to deny him parole.”

Du Plessis said the issues which were raised by the social worker were life skills and anger management‚ “which were addressed by Walus being placed on courses‚ which he completed”.

“The minister and parole board chairman never took into account that he had completed these courses‚ which was wrong.

“Walus has shown remorse for what he did‚ killing Hani the husband and father and Hani the communist‚ yet the minister argues that if you don't change your views on communism‚ you will go out again and kill communists‚ which is ridiculous.

“Walus has been rehabilitated and there is no evidence to show otherwise. What is happening by denying him parole is unfair and unjust.”

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