Polish taxpayers not to incur S.Africa assassin deportation: official
Support in facilitating the return of South Africa’s far-right killer Janusz Waluś to Poland will not place any financial burden on local taxpayers, the Polish Foreign Ministry has assured.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Paweł Wroński during a press briefing in front of the ministry’s headquarters in Warsaw, December 8, 2024. Photo: PAP/Radek Pietruszka Warsaw
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, FM spokesman Paweł Wroński said: „This assistance does not come at the expense of Polish taxpayers.”
His statement comes amid heightened public interest in Waluś following his arrival in Warsaw on Saturday as a deportee from South Africa.
Wroński sought to clarify that Waluś, who now only holds Polish citizenship, is therefore entitled to the same consular support as any other citizen in need.
“If someone is robbed or stranded without money, our diplomatic missions provide help, such as purchasing a return ticket”, Wroński explained.
“This money is expected to be reimbursed to Polish taxpayers at a later date”, he added without providing any further details.
The Polish-born far right extremist, who killed an anti-apartheid leader near Johannesburg in 1993, arrived in Poland following his on parole release and the subsequent decision to deport him
The now 71-year-old migrated to South Africa in 1981 and was given citizenship, which was eventually revoked in 2017 due to his conviction for the murder of prominent Black politician Chris Hani.
This has left Waluś as solely a Polish national.
When he was granted parole in November 2022, the decision evoked painful memories of the apartheid era and sparked widespread street protests.
When his two-year parole period ended Friday, prompting the decision to deport him, the South African authorities made clear that “local taxpayers, including Chris Hani’s widow, will not be paying for the deportation of this individual.”
They added that Poland would bear the cost.
Hani, a father aged 50 at the time of his death, was the general secretary of the South African Communist party, affiliated to the African National Congress (ANC), and is considered a hero of the anti-apartheid struggle.
His death is commemorated annually in South Africa.
(mo)
Source: PAP
