Chris Hani’s wife says TRC was a waste of taxpayers’ money, takes swipe at Zondo

Limpho Hani has questioned the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), saying she believed the process was a waste of taxpayers’ money.

She was speaking at the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the late struggle stalwart Chris Hani‘s death in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni on Monday.

‘I have not been treated fairly’

Addressing the crowd, Hani said she was of the view that the TRC, which was established by the government to ensure a transition from Apartheid to freedom, never got to the bottom of her husband’s assassination.

She said she was “angry” because the government has failed to pursue their investigation into her Chris Hani’s death when he was shot and killed in 1993.

“Decisions were made and given to government [but] they were never implemented to date. I have not been treated fairly,” she said.

ALSO READ: After 30 years, Chris Hani’s murder still riles South Africa

She also commented on the ruling of the Constitutional Court (ConCourt), which ordered the parole release of Chris Hani’s killer, Janusz Waluś, on 21 November last year.

Hani previously described the judgment as “diabolical” and heavily criticised all the judges involved in penning the ruling.

She slammed  Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, saying the judge would be in his position if her husband not been murdered by Waluś.

“You have been misled, we have the right to criticise judges,” Hani said on Monday.

She maintained that Zondo “did not care” about her loss.

“I still say what is diabolical is diabolical.”

Watch the commemoration event below:

She further said the ConCourt’s ruling had “retraumatised” her.

“I have first-hand experience. We sat in court and were blamed and shamed [as] a supposed to be sorry letter from my husband’s killer [was read out]. The judge was pertinent that this letter, which I never received, should have been responded to positively be me. I have never ever received a letter from Waluś and neither from the Chief Justice.

“I don’t know what letter they were talking about, however, the judgment or the reason Waluś was given parole was because Chief Justice Zondo felt that I didn’t answer the baas‘s letter. Remember Waluś is white… I’m a black woman [with] no husband so [now] I can be bullied and my sin was I did not respond a letter that I never received.

“I hope maybe some of you might have received the letter [and] if you did will you please pass me the copy then I can respond to the famous letter. According to the court, this killer was suddenly a nice fellow who is owed a privilege of being released much early from his life sentence,” Hani continued.

Inquest

Hani added that her husband’s death “will never be forgiven” and said she believed that Waluś “will kill again”.

“He was released to freedom in secret to benefit him… he may even be living close to the cemetery. Does he follow me to the shops? Does he watch me and my children’s movements? I ask myself who among us is going to be a victim.”

Earlier, Hani called for an inquest into her husband’s assassination, claiming that evidence suggesting that there was a second shooter, had never been considered.

READ MORE: ‘Janusz Waluś must rot… fate will meet him’ – Lesufi

“The SACP [South African Communist Party] leadership and I are not mad for asking for an inquest. A discovery was made that suggested that there was a second person in my neighbour’s garden,” she said.

“What they found in that garden were an empty can of Fanta Orange and a cigarette butt. These things were collected, but the apartheid government cautiously decided not to follow up on that and made us focus on Janusz Waluś, the assassin.

“However, if you go to the garage door, which is still at my house, you will see that some of the bullets were fired from an angle, suggesting more than one shooter.”

Waluś parole

Waluś’ release last year had been delayed after he was stabbed by a fellow inmate at the Kgosi Mampuru correctional facility in Pretoria.

His parole came with strict conditions as he would serve two years under community corrections.

According to the Department of Correctional Services, Waluś will return to prison if he violates the conditions.

Waluś, a Polish immigrant, was serving a life sentence for killing Chris Hani outside his home in Boksburg, with the support of Clive Derby-Lewis.

He was then quickly arrested and handed a death sentence – a punishment which was commuted to life imprisonment after the death penalty was abolished in post-apartheid South Africa.

NOW READ: Janusz Walus to serve his parole in South Africa, not Poland – Motsoaledi