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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.

"By killing Chris Hani the murderers made a fatal error, for he will not become just another statistic.

"The regime has announced the arrest of a leading member of the Conservative Party, Clive Derby Lewis, in connection with this murder. We insist he be brought before the courts without delay. We demand to know what he did, who he worked with, and above all we demand justice. We do not want to see a situation where those arrested for such heinous crimes simply go free once the hue and cry dies down, as has happened in the past"

We will sweat and soldier on till the riddle around the assassination of Cde Chris Hani is solved. We will remain true and committed to Madiba's commitment to the nation that the assassination of Cde Chris will not be just another statistic.

Chris lived so that we could be free and his life was taken for our freedom to be achieved. We dare not betray what Chris stood for now that we are free. We dare not allow this right wing butchers to abuse our constitution and legal framework in the name of justice. Messrs Clive Derby-Lewis and Janusz Walus deserve nothing but to rot in jail.