#JanuszWalus: Masutha's decision welcomed

Justice and Correctional Services Minister Michael Masutha with his spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga at the media briefing in Pretoria on Friday. Picture: ANA

Justice and Correctional Services Minister Michael Masutha with his spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga at the media briefing in Pretoria on Friday. Picture: ANA

Published Nov 17, 2017

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Johannesburg - Political parties on Friday said they welcomed Justice and Correctional Services Minister Michael Masutha's decision to deny Chris Hani's killer Janusz Walus parole. 

Masutha, at a briefing held in Pretoria, announced he had denied Walus parole, citing the latter's lack of remorse as well as the testimony of Hani's wife Limpho as part of his reasons for denying the application.

"In making my decision, I took into account the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) judgment in so far as it related to representations made by Mrs [Limpho] Hani, Walus and recommendations made by the Parole Board."

Reacting to this decision was the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), who welcomed Masutha's announcement.

"Cosatu remains totally opposed to a parole for Walus , who mercilessly murdered Hani in cold blood 24 years ago on 10 April 1993.

ALSO READ: Masutha denies Chris Hani's killer #JanuszWalus parole

"This cold-blooded killer and his handlers robbed the Hani family of a loving father and the country of one of its finest revolutionary leaders and nearly plunged the nation into a quandary of a civil war."

Cosatu added that Walus did not deserve parole because he was "still imprisoned by his anachronistic prejudices and remains a big believer in the evil system of apartheid".

This was echoed by the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC), who also welcomed Masutha's announcement and added that the likes of Walus deserved to remain in prison. 

Walus was sentenced to death for the murder of Hani in the driveway of his Boksburg, Gauteng, home on April 10, 1993. His sentence was commuted to life after the abolition of the death penalty.

He then brought an application to be placed on parole on April 10, 2015 after serving 21 years and six months of the sentence.

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