The Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola will make an announcement at the “right time” on paper whether to stay the Apex Court decision to release Chris Hani’s killer on parole or not.
The response from the Correctional Services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo comes after the SACP served Lamola with court papers challenging the decision to release the Polish assassin Walus on parole.
Last week, the Constitutional Court ruled that a decision by the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services taken in March 2020 rejecting Janusz Walus’ application for parole be reviewed and set aside.
The court also ordered Lamola to place Walus on parole on such terms and conditions as he may deem appropriate and to take all such steps as may need to be taken to ensure that he is released on parole within ten calendar days from the date of the order.
But the SACP secretary general Solly Mapaila said the party has filed a recession application and served the Minister with the papers and also gave Walus’ legal representatives copies of the application both physically and electronically.
“So we then decided that we are making a recession application to ask them to reverse this decision. Secondly, we have sent papers yesterday (Tuesday) to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services comrade Lamola to say to him he must stay the execution of this order pending the outcome of the recession application,” Mapaila.
According to Nxumalo the decision on whether to stay the execution of the order rests with Minister Lamola.
“That decision will be made by the correct authority being the Minister. I do believe and I know for fact that he will make his intentions known publicly and at the right time he will do so,” said Nxumalo.
Walus’ condition is said to be stable after he was stabbed in prison on Tuesday and the Correctional Services Department has launched an investigation into the incident.
