Minister a liar – killer’s wife

Minister a liar – killer’s wife
January 6 2012 at 08:03am


Staff reporter


THE WIFE of Clive Derby-Lewis plans to lay a charge against the correctional services minister over comments about her husband.

Two days ago, Gaye Derby-Lewis – whose husband was found guilty of Chris Hani’s murder – sent a letter to Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, accusing her of lying.

Gaye wrote that Mapisa-Nqakula had been reported in the media as saying during the opening of the new Gallows Museum at Pretoria Central Prison that she had refused the killer’s parole application and that he would not be set free.

Gaye said Mapisa-Nqakula was reported to have said that Derby-Lewis planned to “first rest”, then reveal everything about the murder after his release from prison.

“She is backing the SA Communist Party so as to prevent him from getting amnesty and parole. The minister is a liar,” said Gaye.

She said her husband had revealed all he had known of the murder during his trial and there had been no evidence of a conspiracy.

He is serving a life sentence and was recently denied parole.

He was convicted of the murder of Hani, then the SACP general secretary, in 1993.

He was sentenced to death, but it was later commuted.

Derby-Lewis has served 18 years of a 25-year sentence.

His wife and lawyers are now attempting to get medical parole for the 75-year-old.

“He is suffering from heart failure, high blood pressure and cancer. He had to have eight operations in two months,” said Gaye.

She planned to lay a charge of crimen injuria if she didn’t hear from the minister.


Mapisa-Nqakula’s spokesman, Correctional Services Chief Deputy Commissioner Zach Modise, said he didn’t know about the letter.