“On December 10, my guest in Zero Hour from the studio in Warsaw will be Janusz Waluś” – Krzysztof Stanowski announced on the X platform. This caused a storm in the comments under the post. He explains his choice in a later entry.
“The outrage over the interview with Janusz Waluś does not surprise me at all, because it is a controversial issue,” writes Stanowski. “I completely understand those who have something against it and I completely understand those who don't have anything against it. I would be lying if I could 100% agree with one or the other“.
He also added that does not glorify Waluś – she only intends to interview him and “ask him whatever he wants. And in any way he wants.”
Who is Janusz Waluś?
In the mid-1970s, Janusz Waluś's brother and father emigrated to South Africa and ran a glassworks there. In 1981, Janusz joined them. After a few years, their business went bankrupt – however, the brothers remained in Africa and their father returned to Africa Polish.
In 1986, Janusz Waluś became a citizen of the Republic of South Africa. It was then that he became deeply involved in politics. He joined the government at that time National Party, then Conservative Partyand finally to Afrikaner Resistance Movement – a far-right and neo-Nazi terrorist organization. Members of this organization violently protested against, among others, abolishing racial segregation in South Africa.
The murder of Chris Hani
On April 10, 1993, Janusz Waluś shot and killed Chris Hani – leader of the communist party in South Africa and opponent of apartheid. For Hani's supporters, he was a steadfast activist fighting against the oppressive authorities, against racism and capitalism, for his opponents, he was a dangerous communist terrorist (Hani, in fact, played a key role in the militias of the Spear of the Nation organization, which carried out, among others, bomb attacks).
After being arrested, he and the person who ordered the murder – a politician By Clive Derby-LewisWaluś was sentenced to death. The sentence was changed to life imprisonment due to the subsequent abolition of the death penalty in the country.
The attack shocked South Africa and there were fears that talks between the apartheid government and the opposition would fail. The atmosphere softened speech Nelson Mandelawho recalled that the perpetrator was caught thanks to the help of a white resident of the country. Waluś, however, became a hero of far-right circles.
On November 21, 2022, the Constitutional Court of South Africa decided to conditionally release Waluś from prison. He was released on December 7 this year, but under South African law he could not leave the country for the next two years.
This means that Janusz Waluś he can return to Poland. However, it is not known whether he is currently in the country.