Pretoria - Clive Derby-Lewis, 80, who assassinated SACP leader Chris Hani in 1993, passed away on Thursday around 1pm in the Eugene Marais Hospital in Pretoria.
He suffered from lung cancer, which had spread to the rest of his body.
Hi grieving widow, Gay Derby-Lewis said his death came as a shock to the family.
“It is a dreaded story. We never expected him to pass away so soon. But at least he is now free.”
Gay said Clive did fine, under the circumstances of him suffering from cancer for many years, but his condition deteriorated after underwent an operation at the beginning of last month (October) to try and stop the cancer, which started off as lung cancer, from spreading further.
He suffered an infection after the operation and the spreading of the cancer could not be stopped.
“Last night (Wednesday night) he was bright and cheery. His eyes were shining, as if he knew he was going somewhere. He took my hand and said something which I cannot repeat,” an emotional Gay said.
She went to hospital on Thursday morning, he was on life support. His son who came from Cape Town and they sat with him, until the end.
“His lungs simply could not take any more air”.
Gay said Clive's past year and a half - during which he was at home after he was released on medical parole - he was happy. “ He could not go anywhere, as he was under house arrest, but he enjoyed the garden.”
Clive had spend 22 years in the Kgosi Mampuru II Prison in Pretoria following the 1993 assassination of Hani. He was released in June last year on medical parole, after a very long battle with correctional services to have him released.
His lawyer, Julian Knight, eventually had to turn to court in a bid to secure medical parole.
Gay meanwhile said it is expected that his funeral will take place next Wednesday, but the details will be made known later.
Pretoria News