Janusz Waluś heading back to Poland as Chris Hani’s wife makes inquiry request

Former South African Communist Party (SACP) leader Chris Hani’s killer Janusz Waluś will be sent back to Poland on Friday.

This was confirmed by Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber and Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, who said it came at the end of his parole on Friday.

“Since Janusz Waluś no longer holds any South African enabling documents, the Department of Home Affairs will be deporting him.

“This morning, the National Commissioner of Correctional Services will formally hand over Janus Waluś to the Department of Home Affairs for deportation,” Ntshavheni said.

Waluś held dual citizenship from 1986 until 2017 when his South African citizenship was revoked.

Sentenced to death

Waluś was sentenced to death on 15 October 1993 for killing Hani. However, this was commuted to life imprisonment in 2000.

His bid for parole was denied several times over the last decade before the Constitutional Court in 2022 ruled it be granted for two years.

This parole period came to an end this week.

But that release on parole was not without drama. Just days before it was set to kick in, Waluś was stabbed by a fellow prisoner, reported to be a former ANC military veterans member.

A visit to Hani’s family

Several high-level politicians, including Deputy President Paul Mashatile, Ntshavheni, Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi, and Schreiber visited Hani’s family to inform them of the decision.

There they reportedly received a request from Hani’s wife Limpho Hani and the SACP to launch an inquest into Hani’s death.

The SACP has been calling for such an inquiry for decades, and as far back as at least 1997.

“The request will be referred to the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development,” government said.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said Waluś would never be forgiven for the murder.

“When Chris Hani was killed, we marched. When Waluś was sent to prison, we marched. So, we are marching now when he’s getting out of prison so when he takes that last walk of shame out of prison, he must still see the name of Chris Hani.

“29 years ago, he thought by killing Chris Hani his name would die forever. His name is not dead, we are still flying the name of Chris Hani and we want him to get out of that prison to know that Chris Hani is still alive,” said Lesufi during a march to the Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre in 2022.