Media statement by the Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veteran’s Association about the Constitutional Court decision to release Janusz Walus, the murderer of Comrade Chris Hani, on parole

22 November 2022

The Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veteran’s Association is angered and distraught by the utterly callous decision of the Constitutional Court (CC), as announced by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, that Janusz Walus, the murderer of Comrade Chris Hani, must be released on parole by the Department of Correctional Services. Never in our wildest dreams have we imagined that such a despicable and callous judgement will be pronounced by a fellow South African judge of our democratic dispensation, who is actually supposed to protect the rights and dignity of our nation.

What Chief Justice Zondo did yesterday, to try and justify the ultimate betrayal of comrade Chris Hani with the weak, and sugar coated, platitude that in this fundamentally racist, exploitative, and unequal society of ours, all must regardless be treated 'as equal before the law’, is truly unconscionable and evil. Walus was attempting to stop South Africa from attaining freedom/democracy, therefore he should not now benefit from it, nor it's laws.

With one foul stroke of his fountain pen, filled with the blood of our people, Justice Zondo denied all the centuries of racist and colonial economic exploitation. Yesterday’s judgement was truly diabolical, and it confirms the view that the Constitutional Court has been captured, and is being used to dismantle the whole liberation project. If there ever was evidence that it is time to review our entire legal system, there is no need to look further than this dastardly sell out judgement. It is anti-black and anti-liberation.

For far too long there has been a conspiracy of silence about the assassination of comrade Chris Hani. As MKMVA we have no doubt that whatsoever that comrade Chris Hani was not only assassinated by two individual right wingers - Clive Derby-Lewis and Janusz Walus - acting in isolation. NO!, it was indeed a much bigger, and intricate, carefully worked out assassination plot. We know in our hearts of hearts the very senior leaders within the National Democratic Revolution were intimately involved in the formulation and execution of that evil plan.

Comrade Hani spoke out against the sell out arrangements that were negotiated at CODESA. He felt compelled to speak and warn our people of the great criminal betrayal that was being perpetrated against them. It was exactly because of his principled refusal not to remain quiet, and not to become complicit, that comrade Chris had to be killed. He became too dangerous, not only to leaders of White Monopoly Capitalism (WMC), but he also became a huge threat to the sell outs within the ranks of our beloved Liberation Movement. In having refused to become a sell out, Chris had signed his own death warrant!

The reason that up to this very day, more than 28 years later, we do not truly know how comrade Chris Hani was so cold-bloodedly assassinated, is not because of a lack of information and clues, but because what really happened has consistently, and with the assistance of huge resources, been deliberately and carefully covered up.

As MKMVA we were instructed by President Nelson Mandela and the senior ANC leadership not to to lash out in anger when comrade Chris as was assassinated “for the sake of our nation”. We were instructed not to encourage the legitimate outrage and deep anger of our people, and told that by doing so we will do our fledgling nation a great service, and thus allow the CODESA negotiations, and he first democratic elections to succeed.

The pain that we felt as Umkhonto we Sizwe veterans were almost unbearable, because one of the best among us - one of our greatest Commanders and leaders - have been murdered by white racists. Having had to repress our outrage came at a huge personal cost to us, but as disciplined liberation fighters we tried to best to carry out the order that we had been given.

Today, 28 years later, we can see that we hade been abused, and actually held for fools!

The so-called lofty objectives that we were instructed to sacrifice our well-being, and far too often our dignity, for, have never been achieved. Not at all! Instead a self-serving, self[1]centred, clique of compradore capitalist 'leaders' have emerged, even from inside the ANC, who were only interested in preventing Comrade Chris' assassination from upsetting their already carefully concocted plans to empower and enrich themselves, at the cost of the hopes, and well-being, of our nation.

Such was the depths and depravity of that heartless leadership elite and clique of the ANC.

When they were putting their carefully worked out dastardly plans step by step in place -one compromised constitutional clause after the other - already during the CODESA negotiations, and the writing of the interim Constitution, Comrade Chris Hani was one of the very few who saw them for the incarnation of evil, the utter devils that they were, and still are. In character with his principled steadfastness Comrade Chris called them out.

As time moved along, and we came closer and closer to the final betrayal of gigantic, and sickening, proportions Comrade Chris spoke out with greater desperation and urgency.

However, similar to what was the case with us as MK veterans, Comrade Chris was also instructed in no uncertain terms not speak out, and not to reveal the fundamentally compromised - selling out - process that was unfolding right under our noses.

Because of the love for our people, comrade Chris garnered the courage to speak out, and as consequence he paid the highest price, and was murdered.

Yesterday was in fact the second killing of comrade Chris Hani, at the very hands of the Chief Justice, whose sacred duty should have been to nurture and protect his legacy.

MKMVA is painfully aware of how deeply hurting and difficult this current situation is for comrade Chris Hani’s widow, comrade Limpho Hani, their children and the whole Hani family. They need our prayers and support.

Under these terrible circumstances of wanton betrayal, we as liberation soldiers are duty bound to stand up and speak out. Silence, and protecting those who only cares about themselves is certainly no longer an option. The only way that Comrade Chris Hani’s memory and legacy can now be protected is to speak out, and to finally bring an end to the betrayal and exploitation of our people.

Comrade Chris Hani had the courage to speak out, and as a consequence he paid the highest price, who are we now to remain silent and to allow ourselves to be intimidated?

Over the almost three decades since Chris passed on, his sterling revolutionary example and courage reach out to all of us urging us to no longer to cower and be silent.

We can no longer allow this to continue - now is the time for fortitude and courage. Those who betrayed our revolution, and continue to betray it, must be dealt with harshly. They can no longer be allowed to destroy the future of our children.

SEKUNJALO! NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT!

Issued by Carl Niehaus, MKMVA NEC Member and National Spokesperson of MKMVA, 22 November 2022