Rightwingers take Derby-Lewis case to UN

Clive Derby-Lewis File photo: Adil Bradlow

Clive Derby-Lewis File photo: Adil Bradlow

Published Sep 23, 2014

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Johannesburg - Right-wing political party Front National will approach the United Nations' (UN) Human Rights Commission over the handling of Clive Derby-Lewis's medical parole application, it said on Tuesday.

“In spite of having been examined for the medical parole board again on 9 July and another case for release on medical parole consequently submitted, no reply has been received from the department of correctional services,” it said in a statement.

Derby-Lewis was convicted of conspiring to kill SA Communist Party general secretary Chris Hani by providing the gun Polish immigrant Janusz Walus used to kill him in the driveway of his home in Boksburg, on the East Rand, on April 10, 1993.

The 78-year-old former Conservative Party MP, who was sentenced to 25 years behind bars, has served more than 20 years of his sentence.

Derby-Lewis was initially sentenced to death, which was commuted to life imprisonment when the death penalty was abolished in 1995. He first applied for parole in June 2010.

According to Derby-Lewis's wife Gaye, he has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.

Front National said that it visited Derby-Lewis on Tuesday and that he was expected to undergo an operation on Friday.

It would seek a meeting with Justice Minister Michael Masutha “to demand an explanation for his avoidance of the issue”.

“At the same time, a formal complaint about the South African government’s handling of the issue will be presented to the Human Rights Commission of the UN.”

Derby-Lewis's lawyer Elsabe Juin said in June that the correctional services department had promised to give Derby-Lewis's application for medical parole urgent attention.

Sapa

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