Northern Gauteng High Court on Thursday ruled that new Justice Minister Ronald Lamola should decide whether or not to release Janus Walus, who killed communist Chris Hani, on parole.
Walus asked the court to reverse former Justice and Correctional Services Minister Michael Masutha’s decision to release him on parole and deport him to Poland, his native country. Walus’s legal team argues that Masutha’s decision to refuse parole was unfair and irrational.
Walus has been serving more than 25 years in prison for the murder of Hani, former leader of the South African Communist Party.
The court reversed Masutha’s decision to deny Walus parole, but referred the case back to new Justice Minister Ronald Lamola. They now have 60 days to rethink the matter. “Although Walus is eligible for parole, it is not a given that he should be released,” Judge Jody Kollapen said in his ruling. He did point out, however, that the testimony of several experts indicates that Walus is n
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