Uproar over judge’s decision on Walus

Chris Hani’s widow‚ Limpho‚ has accused the judge who order- ed the release of her husband’s killer on parole of hostility in handling the case.

Hani was reacting yesterday after Judge Nicolene Janse van Nieuwenhuizen dismissed an application by the justice minister for leave to appeal against her order last month that Janusz Walus must be released on parole.

“She is not God. We have other courts to go to. We will continue to fight until justice is done‚” Hani said at the high court in Pretoria.

“This cold-blooded killer of Comrade Hani and his handlers robbed the Hani family of a loving father‚ the movement of its revolutionary leader and nearly plunged the nation a quandary of a civil war‚” Cosatu said in a statement.

The trade union federation also accused Janse van Nieuwenhuizen of bias.

“The hearing exposed her as someone who was not prepared to see things from a different viewpoint and who could not eliminate emotions during the proceedings.

“She struggled to set aside her personally biased viewpoint and be neutral as reflected by her questioning methods and the obvious agitation with the state lawyers‚” Cosatu said.

Solly Mapaila‚ South African Communist Party second deputy general secretary‚ said outside court that blatant murderers could not go scot-free because of legal technicalities.

“We will take the matter to the SCA. If we lose we will take the matter to the Constitutional Court.”