Decision to release Hani’s killer didn’t consider extent of damage endured by citizens: Mkhize

African National Congress presidential hopeful, Zweli Mkhize, says the decision to release Chris Hani’s killer on parole clearly didn’t consider the extent of damage South Africans endured, following the 1993 murder of then South African Communist Party (SACP) General Secretary, Hani.

This week, Chief Justice Raymond Zondo ordered the release of Janusz Walus, overturning a decision made by Justice and Correctional Services Minister, Ronald Lamola, who declined to grant Walus parole.

The Apex Court ordered that the Polish immigrant be released on parole within 10 days.

Janusz Walus Parole | Chris Hani’s wife Limpho Hani reacts:

Delivering the Bertha Gxowa Memorial Lecture in Katlehong, east of Johannesburg, Mkhize said Hani’s killing was the worst travesty of justice in the country.

“It becomes a problem when decisions are taken and we don’t take into account how painful our hearts still are by the death of Chris Hani. So people don’t understand the psychology of South Africans that to us this was the worst travesty of justice.”

On Monday the SACP vowed to mobilise society in its bid for the law to act in the interests of the disadvantaged.

SACP General Secretary Solly Mapaila says, “There’s nothing that we can do except mass mobilisation so that we reconstitute our legal framework to represent the interests of the people, not to protect murderers and criminals whose only mandate is to cause chaos in society. I think it’s disappointing – this judgment.”

“We will have to go back to the drawing board to see how to re-mobilise society on a matter of justice for the people, not justice for criminals. We believe that indeed today in the court of justice an injustice has occurred, a very heavy injustice against our people.”

SACP’s Solly Mapaila reacts to the Constitutional Court’s decision on Janusz Walus: