INTRODUCTION

This 18-minute video examines the amnesty hearings of Janusz Walus and Clive Derby-Lewis, two members of the now extinct Conservative Party who in 1993 assassinated Chris Hani, a popular ANC and SACP leader. The video begins with the testimony of Janusz Walus who explains how he carried out the assassination, followed by a short biography of Chris Hani. The remaining two-thirds of the video documents the cross-examination of Clive Derby-Lewis, a former member of Parliament and a leading member of the white right wing movement, who orchestrated the killing. The lawyer for the Hani family, George Bizos, who had been Nelson Mandela’s lawyer at his treason trial in the 1960s, questions the actions and motivations of both men in front of the Amnesty Committee as well as the Hani, Derby-Lewis, and Mandela families.

In order to receive amnesty, applicants had to fully disclose all relevant facts as well as demonstrate that their acts served a political objective on behalf of a political organization. The standards for amnesty and the difficult questions surrounding the definition of a political act are the focus of this presentation. The testimonies of the killers, the sharp questioning of Mr. Bizos, and the reactions of the crowd also reveal the drama and emotional complexity of the amnesty process.

Link to SMIL

Link to Bibliography

Link to Biography

Link to websites used in presentation

Link to Power Point Presentation

Link to Help page