Chris Hani's convicted murderer Janusz Waluś. Picture: AFP
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has warned that the Constitutional Court’s (ConCourt) decision to release Janusz Waluś shows it does not care about stability and peace in South Africa.
In a statement released after the verdict on Chris Hani’s assassin, the EFF said the ruling may have “serious consequences and repercussions”.
Waluś, a Polish immigrant, was serving a life sentence at the Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Pretoria for killing Hani outside his home in Boksburg on 10 April 1993, with the support of Clive Derby-Lewis.
Hani was the leader of the South African Communist Party (SACP) when he was assassinated.
The apex court on Monday ruled that Walus be released within 10 days.
It found that the decision by Justice Minister Ronald Lamola not to grant Waluś parole in 2020 was irrational.
Waluś made several unsuccessful applications for parole, with Lamola having refused him his freedom, citing the seriousness of the crime.
ALSO READ: ConCourt orders Lamola to release Janusz Waluś on parole
The ConCourt ruling resulted in widespread outrage, with the EFF warning that there will never be peace if Waluś is out of prison.
“There will be serious consequences and repercussions, and the Constitutional Court will take full responsibility, over what will happen if Janusz Waluś comes out of prison.”
“The Constitutional Court, which is supposed to be the highest court in the land, has undermined the sensitivities of our people and will invoke instability in our country.
“The murderer of Chris Hani cannot be forgiven, and must therefore remain in prison until death.
“The decision to release Janusz Waluś is callous, insensitive and regressive, and is made by a self-centred collective led by Raymond Zondo, who have today spit on the grave of Chris Hani and those who died fighting for the freedom of this country,” the EFF said.
Chris Hani’s widow, Limpho Hani, reacted with anger on Monday, branding the judgement “diabolical”.
“Waluś has lost all his [previous] cases. Now he comes here (to the ConCourt) and whatever they say goes.
“I wish them all the best. Do you know about karma? Watch this space, all of them,” she told the media after the ruling.
ALSO READ: ‘Karma will deal with them all’ – Hani’s widow furious with judges after Waluś given parole
The EFF said there has been no resolution between Waluś and the Hani family.
“It is a betrayal of all combatants who fought the forces of apartheid and colonialism, and has reduced the Constitutional Court to an instrument that reinforces white supremacy and disrespects the memory of an icon.
“We refuse to live alongside Janusz Waluś as a free person because he has destroyed a revolutionary, a true Freedom Fighter who would have saved us from white supremacy, oppression, exploitation and domination had he lived,” the party said.
The EFF has called on government and the Hani family to apply for rescission of the ConCourt judgement.
“We have been patient and tolerant with too many wrong and irrational decisions taken in the name of fake reconciliation, and now we cannot and will not tolerate this nonsense,” the EFF said.
Meanwhile, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said the ConCourt’s decision to release Waluś “opened a wound that was thought to have healed.”
Lesufi said there should be a national day of action to mark Waluś’ release
“We feel betrayed, we feel let down and we can’t leave this unattended,” Lesufi told SABC News.
Additional reporting by Gareth Cotterell.