15 December 2000
Earlier today, the Cape Division of the High Court of South Africa dismissed the application by Clive Derby-Lewis and Janus Walus to overturn a decision of the Amnesty Committee the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) not to grant them amnesty for th e killing of the late General Secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP), Comrade Chris Hani.
The SACP welcomes this court decision. This decision is a vindication of the Hani family's and the SACP's argument that there was a wider conspiracy in the killing of Chris Hani which has not been fully disclosed by Derby-Lewis and Walus. Given that there has been no full disclosure to the TRC Amnesty Committee and to the court itself, therefore there was no basis for the TRC Amnesty Committee decision to be overturned, the Cape High Court argued.
The killing of Chris Hani was a direct attack on democracy and the struggle for socialism. As the SACP we will not rest until the full facts about the killing of Chris Hani. The SACP calls on the South African government to ensure that Derby-Lewis and Walu s serve their prison terms in full.
ISSUED BY: BLADE NZIMANDE
GENERAL SECRETARY
SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNIST PARTY
CONTACT
Mazibuko K. Jara (surname Jara)
Department of Media, Information Publicity South African Communist Party
Tel: 011 339-3621/2 Fax: 011 339-4244
Cell: 083 651 0271 Email: sacp1@wn.apc.org