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Walus is 'an unrepentant criminal assassin': SACP protest against release of Hani's killer

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  • The ANC and the SACP led a crowd of supporters to the Kgosi Mampuru II Prison in Pretoria. 
  • The parties objected to the release on parole of Chris Hani's killer, Janusz Walus.
  • Walus was stabbed in prison on Tuesday, two days before his expected release.

The leader of the SACP, Solly Mapaila, says the stabbing of Janusz Walus doesn't dent the anger that the man who murdered Chris Hani is set to leave prison.

Mapaila was speaking on Wednesday at the sidelines of the ANC and its alliance partners' march to Kgosi Mampuru II Prison in central Pretoria. 

A few hundred ANC leaders gathered at Burgers Park, 10 kilometres from the prison, gearing to protest outside the prison, where Walus is serving his sentence.

Walus' release is expected on Thursday after a Constitutional Court judgment ruled he be released on parole. 

The judgment angered the ANC and the SACP, of which Hani was the leader when he was shot and killed by Walus in 1993.

The alliance has held various pickets and protests outside the Constitutional Court and Parliament. 

On Tuesday, reports emerged that Walus was stabbed as he waited for food at the prison. 

ALSO READ | Blood spills on eve of ANC-led protest against release of Chris Hani's killer Janusz Walus

In response to the stabbing incident, Mapaila said the SACP was unmoved by the incident. 

"Chris Hani's monument has been vandalised; that is the most important thing for us, rather than the well-being of Walus, an unrepentant murderer. Chris Hani is not alive, and his killer is still alive," Mapaila said. 

The SACP leader said the protest was significant because Walus had never repented. 

"We are opposing his release on parole on the grounds that he has not been remorseful and he remains an unrepentant criminal assassin. He has never engaged in victim-offender dialogue with the family and asked for forgiveness. 

"He never followed those processes, but managed to mischievously abuse the law and tick some boxes and say that he qualifies," Mapaila said. 

He said that was why a rescission application of Walus' parole was important because the Constitutional Court ruling failed to consider submissions made by the family and the SACP. 

"In the judgment, our submissions were ignored. We have marched to Parliament; we are also marching to the judiciary. The judges make laws by precedence. They've created massive precedence regarding how you treat criminals, rapists and so on," Mapaila said.


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