Janusz Walus, the convicted murderer of South African struggle hero Chris Hani, will be deported to Poland from South Africa on Friday.
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This was announced by Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, during a media briefing held in Pretoria.
Walus – a Polish right wing extremist – assassinated the SA Communist Party (SACP) Secretary General in 1993 during a sensitive time in South Africa’s democratic transition, causing widespread outrage and an outpouring of grief in the country.
It prompted the negotiations for a free and fair South Africa, and brought about the setting of 27 April 1994 as the day of the first democratic general elections.
For the murder, Janusz Walus was sentenced to death.
However, this was commuted to a life sentence and applications for parole had since been consistently denied.
Deportation
“On 21 November 2022, the Constitutional Court ordered that Wanus Walus be placed on parole within 10 days of the date of the order, in line with applicable legislation. At the time, the applicable parole period was two years. Januz Walus was subsequently placed on parole on 7 December 2022, subject to parole conditions.
“Today, the 6th December 2024, the parole period of Janus Walus has come to an end, in line with the Constitutional Court decision. Since Janus Walus no longer holds any South African enabling documents, the Department of Home Affairs will be deporting him,” Ntshavheni explained.
The National Commissioner of Correctional Services will formally hand over Walus to the Department of Home Affairs for deportation.
This process will be handled by the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS).
Ntshavheni said a delegation of high-ranking government leaders visited the Hani family to deliver the news of Walus’ deportation.
“In preparation for this deportation, Cabinet assigned the Deputy President, Mr. Paul Mashatile; the Minister in the Presidency, Ms. Khumbudzo Ntshavheni; the Minister of Justice, Ms. Mmamoloko Kubayi; and the Minister of Home Affairs, Dr. Leon Schreiber, to visit the family of the late Chris Hani to inform them of these developments.
“During this engagement, government delegation received a request for an inquest from Mr. Hani’s wife and the SACP. The request will be referred to the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development,” Ntshavheni said.
