Image Source: Central News
South Africa – Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, announced that Janusz Walus, the convicted murderer of South African anti-apartheid hero Chris Hani, will be deported to Poland, marking the end of his parole period and time in South Africa.
Walus, initially sentenced to death for assassinating Hani in 1993, had his sentence commuted to life imprisonment.
Despite repeated parole denials, the Constitutional Court ordered his release on parole in November 2022. Walus was placed on parole on 7 December 2022 under strict conditions for two years.
“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 confirmed.
Hani’s assassination, carried out by the Polish far-right extremist during a critical period of South Africa’s democratic transition, shocked the nation and accelerated the push toward the country’s first democratic elections in 1994.
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The Deportation Process
The National Commissioner of Correctional Services will officially hand Walus over to Home Affairs for deportation, coordinated by the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS).
According to Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber, the Polish embassy will cover the costs of the deportation, which is set for Friday.
“Today is a painful day for South Africa. The deportation of Mr Chris Hani’s murderer at the end of a process mandated by a Constitutional Court order reminds us all of that dark time. May it also spur us on to work harder to build the peaceful and prosperous country we want,” Schreiber said on X.
Senior government officials, including Deputy President Paul Mashatile, met with the Hani family to inform them of the deportation. During the meeting, the family and the SACP requested an inquest into Hani’s assassination.
“The request will be referred to the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development,” Ntshavheni said.
