Johannesburg - The SACP wants an inquest into the death of its former leader Chris Hani, following the death of one of his killers, Clive Derby-Lewis.
Derby-Lewis and Janusz Walus - who pulled the trigger - were sentenced to life for the murder of Hani in April 1993, which almost plunged the country into racial war.
On Sunday, SACP leader Blade Nzimande said Hani’s assassination continued to haunt the Hani family because Derby-Lewis and Waluz had refused to divulge their motive for killing him.
“Derby-Lewis died without making full disclosure of the truth about all the circumstances that led to the murder of Comrade Chris Hani
“The SACP is often criticised that it is not willing to let off the matter of the murder of Comrade Hani, even by some within our movement. This is not true;” Nzimande said his party would continue to express its solidarity with Hani’s wife Limpho Hani and her family.
“Every time something happens involving the now late Derby-Lewis and the other murderer, Janusz Walus, the Hani family is taken back to their painful past experience.
“Given this impasse in getting to the truth, and the whole truth, our next central committee meeting; in early December will have to reinstate our call for an official inquest into the whole truth and circumstances around the assassination of Comrade Chris Hani.”
Nzimande added: “One of the outstanding issues is that the wife of Derby-Lewis was found, immediately after the assassination of Comrade Hani, in possession of a list of names and residential addresses of many of our ANC and SACP leaders, including that of Comrade Nelson Mandela.
“This was never adequately followed up or investigated by the apartheid police. Clearly there was a wider conspiracy. No wonder Gaye Derby-Lewis is today still a praise singer of her late husband. She is also saying Clive Derby-Lewis told her a secret she will keep until she goes to her grave. She definitely has an explanation to make.”
Political Bureau