Judgment reserved in Chris Hani killer's parole bid

Secretary General of the South African Communist Party Chris Hani was killed at his home in surburban Johannesburg April 10. Photo taken December 1991
Secretary General of the South African Communist Party Chris Hani was killed at his home in surburban Johannesburg April 10. Photo taken December 1991
The High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday reserved judgment in the parole bid by Chris Hani's killer, Polish immigrant Janusz Walus, eNCA reported.

Justice Minister Michael Masutha reportedly denied Walus parole in April last year.

Eyewitness News reported that Walus's legal team had argued that Masutha had been biased against their client. They asked the court to make a decision on his application for parole and not refer it back to the minister.

The parole board has reportedly granted Walus parole, however, Masutha refused and called for further dialogue with the SA Communist Party and the Hani family. Both were against him being freed.

In May last year Clive Derby-Lewis, who provided the gun which was used to kill Hani outside his home in Dawn Park, Boksburg, in 1993, was granted medical parole.

After an extensive court battle, Judge Selby Baqwa ruled that Derby-Lewis's medical parole was immediately effective, saying the former Conservative Party leader had shown remorse.

The 79-year-old has spent over 21 years behind bars and is said to be dying of lung cancer.

In January last year, he had been given just six more months to live. Dereby-Lewis is still alive today.

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