By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Minister of Home Affairs Aaron Motsoaledi says Chris Hani’s killer Janusz Walus will not be allowed to leave South Africa as part of his parole conditions.
The department granted Walus an exemption in terms of the Immigration Act to serve his parole period in South Africa.
In a statement, Home Affairs said media reports that Walus would be allowed to leave the country and relocate to Poland were not true.
The exemption contained a condition that Walus may not use any travel document or passport issued by the Embassy of Poland.
This comes after a landmark ruling by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo in the Constitutional Court to allow Walus out on parole. Zondo ordered that Walus must be released within 10 days.
Walus, a Polish immigrant, assassinated Hani, a popular ANC and SACP leader, in 1993.
In a unanimous judgment, Zondo said it was accepted that Walus had a low chance of reoffending, and noted that he had apologised to Hani’s family “more than once”.
Zondo set aside Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola’s March 2020 rejection of Walus’ application for parole.
“The letter addressed Walus, and a certificate of exemption, has been forwarded to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services to be delivered to Walus.
“The letter set out the exceptional circumstances requiring the granting of the exemption which, inter alia, include the fact that it would be in the interests of justice that Walus serves his sentence to the fullest, including parole in the Republic of South Africa, read the statement.”
Motsoaledi said, in light of the exemption issued by the minister, this speculation cannot be correct, and the Department of Home Affairs would not be involved in any deportation process of Walus to the Republic of Poland.
The Home Affair’s stance is that Walus must serve his parole period in South Africa as part of his sentence.