Clive Derby-Lewis dies‚ aged 80
Former Conservative Party MP Clive Derby-Lewis‚ who was released on medical parole last year after serving 20 years in prison for the assassination of MK and SA Communist Party leader Chris Hani‚ has died. He was 80 years old. Derby-Lewis had been diagnosed with a stage-four cancer. Correctional Services spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga confirmed his death to TMG Digital. "I have just received the news from my colleague but I currently don’t have the full details to give at the moment." Lewis' lawyer‚ Julian Knight‚ said the parolee succumbed to a long-term illness. "He was admitted to a local hospital a few weeks ago. He died on Thursday morning‚" Knight said. News channel eNCA‚ quoted his wife‚ Gaye‚ as saying‚ "he was good man who was honest and respectable". Derby-Lewis was released from a Pretoria prison in June last year but placed under house arrest with strict conditions. His parole came after High Court Judge Selby Baqwa authorised it in May‚ overturning Justice Minister Michael Masutha's decision in January that year not to grant him medical parole. Hani was shot dead on April 10 1993. Derby-Lewis procured the weapon for Polish immigrant and co-conspirator Janusz Walus‚ who pulled the trigger. Both were sentenced to death‚ but their sentences were later commuted to life imprisonment.
