Janusz Walus’ lawyers say he should be released from prison as he has served 27 years of his sentence and has completed all the rehabilitation programmes.
They argue that the Polish national is a model prisoner. Walus was convicted for the assassination of SACP leader, Chris Hani, in 1993.
Earlier this year, Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola refused a fourth bid for Walus to be granted parole.
The High Court in Pretoria has reserved judgment in Walus’ appeal against the Minister’s decision.
His lawyer Julian Knight says there is no logical reason why his client should not be released.
“Normally, people are released on parole for murder after serving 20 years. Walus was eligible for release on parole after having served 15 years. When you juxtapose that with the people that are placed on parole who have committed no less heinous a crime, one can only ask the question why? How does one distinguish between the class of victim? Are we actually saying that if you murder a person like Chris Hani his life is more worthy than any other South African that happened to be murdered within the last 25 years.”
SACP Spokesperson Alex Mashilo says they will continue to fight for Walus to be in jail for the rest of his life:
Meanwhile, 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, attended Monday’s proceedings at the High Court in Pretoria.
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. It is the same human being and it is the same life that he took. So, our view is simply that he must not get parole. He does not deserve it for the reasons we have outlined.”
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