SACP TO OPPOSE THE PAROLE APPLICATION OF CLIVE DERBY - LEWIS
The General Secretary of the SACP will lead an SACP delegation to oppose the parole application of Mr Clive Derby-Lewis tomorrow, Wednesday 23 June 2010, at 11H00 in Pretoria. Messrs Clive Derby-Lewis and Janusz Walus committed a heinous crime on 10 April 1993 when they assassinated the rising star of South Africa's liberation movement, a dedicated communist, Cde Martin Thembisile "Chris" Hani.
At the time of his assassination Cde Chris was the General Secretary of the SACP and a very influential figure in the SACP, ANC and COSATU alliance. His family was robbed of a loving father by these assassins whose intention to wreak havoc and throw our country into political disarray failed.
Notwithstanding the findings of the court that heard the trial and the TRC outcomes, Mr Derby-Lewis has been involved in side shows to manoeuvre our legal framework to get his parole. Last year he staged an attempt to twist the High Court to hear his parole and the case was thrown out and referred back to the parole board to allow the family of the victim as described by law to be heard. What the two assassins must understand is that Cde Chris belonged to a bigger family, the family of the SACP, ANC, COSATU and the broader Mass Democratic Movement.
This broad movement remains inspired by the words of our icon Nelson Mandela who said the following when addressing the funeral ceremony of Cde Chris:
"Chris Hani's murder was no aberration. It was consistent with the patterns of the past. Scores of assassinations remain "unsolved". Rick Turner, Matthew Goniwe, Sparrow Mkhonto, David Webster, Ruth First, and Dulcie September are but a few. Their killers remain unnamed because the criminals investigate themselves.