The refusal by Justice and Correctional Services Minister, Michael Masutha to release Clive Derby-Lewis on medical parole, came as a huge disappointment to a great number of people, but it was not completely unexpected.
As Mrs Gaye Derby-Lewis pointed out in her press release following the announcement, prominent politicians and political commentators such as Nelson Mandela, Dullah Omar, FW de Klerk, Max du Preez, Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, Matthews Phosa, Cheryl Carolus, Robert McBride (himself a convicted bomber and murderer) and Tokyo Sexwale stated over the years that they are not in favour of the release of Derby-Lewis.
The reasons stated by the Minister was a farce, nonetheless. To claim that Derby-Lewis used a false name to apply for parole and to use that as excuse for refusing him medical parole, is ludicrous, to say the least. The man is a prisoner who was transferred to a private hospital and treated there, by instruction of Correctional Services, under a nom de plume.
The instructions of the Minister’s own Department, now being used against the prisoner! Even worse than that is the allegation by the minister that Derby-Lewis did not show remorse. Apart from the fact that no Act in this country ever stated that remorse was a condition for medical parole, Derby-Lewis pleaded with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for amnesty and expressed his remorse.
He asked, on no less than two occasions, for Hani’s widow, Limpho, to visit him in prison, which she refused to do. How is he supposed to express his remorse if all opportunities are denied him?
To add insult to injury, the Minister then announced that Vlakplaas murderer, Eugene de Kock, will be release in the sign of nation building and reconciliation! What?! Obviously we rejoice with Eugene that we can now put that chapter behind us as well.
But what about Clive?
According to Gaye he merely shook his head and shuffled away like a man beaten and defeated…again. He is after all 79 years old, terminally ill and demonised in a way in which he does not have the opportunity to tell his side of the story.
Which casts a pitchblack shadow over the Minister’s understanding of remorse and reconciliation, not to mention nation building. I see a heap of bricks but no cement here, Minister!
Enters another controvertial figure: Dr Piet Croukamp. This infamous liberal academic and anti-Afrikaner opinion maker befriended De Kock in prison and visited him every week. He was the driving force behind De Kock’s campaign for release.
Croukamp then had an interesting opinion on why Derby-Lewis was not released. According to him, Derby-Lewis and Front National are extreme right wingers too critical of the ANC. The “insults and derogatory terminology” used by our followers on Front Nasionaal Suid-Afrika and Boere Krisis Aksie facebook pages is the reason why we cannot be taken seriously and therefore the release was not approved.
Wait a minute: I need to get my head around this one: If I follow Croukamp correctly, we are now supposed to keep quiet, not be critical of government and beg nicely for justice to be dealt to this man and the people of his nation. Behave ourselves nicely and justice will be our incentive.
Very well then, utter bollocks, but very well then, yet, now we have a huge misunderstanding about what forgiveness and reconciliation are. In our understanding it means:
The matter is now dealt with.
Derby-Lewis served his term, he paid his debt to society and now he must be released. Then we put the whole sordid affair behind us and occupy our minds with the future of all the people of this country which is sinking lower and lower in jeopardy as the days go by.
But no, apparently we are mistaken in this understanding, because the League of Young Communists says: “Let him rot in jail.” Cleopatra Hani, the daughter of Chris, on Saturday says: “If I was a boy I would go to jail and kill him.”
Forgiveness and reconciliation are like a tea bag and a kettle of boiling water – useless on their own – they should come together and infuse to be of any use.
Even if Clive shows all the remorse in the world, even if we never speak another word of criticism towards the ANC nothing will change, because the problem is not where Minister Masutha is looking for it, the problem is much closer to himself, to the family of Chris Hani, to the Communists of South Africa.
The problem is their incapability to rise above the primitive satisfaction of revenge and of having power.
And that is basically why the New South Africa is a dismal failure. And why Clive Derby-Lewis is the scapegoat. The struggle for his release goes on from tomorrow morning.
Department Information
Front Nasionaal Suid Afrika
