HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Jacob "Jackie" Sello Selebi (7 March 195023 January 2015) was the National Commissioner of the
South African Police Service The South African Police Service (SAPS) is the national police force of the Republic of South Africa. Its 1,154 police stations in South Africa are divided according to the provincial borders, and a Provincial Commissioner is appointed in ea ...
from January 2000 to January 2008, when he was put on extended leave and charged with corruption. He was also a former President of
African National Congress Youth League The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) is the youth wing of the African National Congress (ANC). As set out in its constitution, the ANC Youth League is led by a National Executive Committee (NEC) and a National Working Committee (NW ...
, South African ambassador to the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...
from 1995 to 1998, and President of
Interpol The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cri ...
from 2004 to 2008. Selebi was found guilty of corruption on 2 July 2010 and sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment on 3 August 2010. However, he was released on medical parole in July 2012, after serving less than a year of his sentence, and lived at home until his death on 23 January 2015. An anti-
apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
activist in his youth, Selebi was a member of the
African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election install ...
(ANC) and a political ally of former President
Thabo Mbeki Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki KStJ (; born 18 June 1942) is a South African politician who was the second president of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008, when he resigned at the request of his party, the African National Congress (ANC ...
. He is among the most senior members of the ANC to be subject to criminal corruption charges. His investigation and trial, which together lasted over five years, received significant public attention, and were highly political sensitive. On some views, the trial contributed to the politicisation of the South African criminal justice system, particularly by contributing to the marginalisation and ultimately the disbanding of the
Scorpions Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always end ...
, the elite unit of the National Prosecuting Agency which had pursued Selebi.


Biography

Selebi was born on in
Soweto Soweto () is a township of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for ''South Western Townships''. Formerly a s ...
, a
township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...
in the south of
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Dem ...
. He had a bachelor's degree from the
University of the North The University of Limpopo is a university in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. It was formed on 1 January 2005, by the merger of the University of the North and the Medical University of South Africa (MEDUNSA). These previous institutions form ...
, and in the 1980s taught history at several schools. He was a member of the
African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election install ...
(ANC) and was detained by police at least twice for his anti-
apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
activities. He spent time in exile in the Soviet Union and in Tanzania, where he taught at the Solomon Mahlangu Freedom College, and was a representative of the left-wing
World Federation of Democratic Youth The World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) is an international youth organization, and has historically characterized itself as left-wing and anti-imperialist. WFDY was founded in London in 1945 as a broad international youth movement, ...
from 1983 to 1987. In 1987, while in exile in Zambia, he was elected to the ANC National Executive Committee and as head of the
ANC Youth League The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) is the youth wing of the African National Congress (ANC). As set out in its constitution, the ANC Youth League is led by a National Executive Committee (NEC) and a National Working Committee (NW ...
. In 1991, with the ANC making preparations for the end of apartheid, he was put in change of organising the repatriation of ANC exiles. In 1993, he was appointed director of the ANC's department of welfare.


Government career

In the first democratic elections of 1994, Selebi was elected as a Member of Parliament. From 1995 to 1998, he served as the South African ambassador to the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...
in Geneva. In that capacity, he chaired the 1997
Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population ...
Conference on an International Total Ban on Anti-Personnel Land Mines, at which the
Ottawa Treaty The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction of 1997, known informally as the Ottawa Treaty, the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, or often simply the Mine ...
was concluded. He also chaired the 54th session of the
United Nations Commission on Human Rights The United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) was a functional commission within the overall framework of the United Nations from 1946 until it was replaced by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2006. It was a subsidiary body of ...
in 1998, led the preparatory committees for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation, and belonged to the board of trustees at the
United Nations Institute for Training and Research The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is a dedicated training arm of the United Nations system. UNITAR provides training and capacity development activities to assist mainly developing countries with special attention ...
. From 1998 to 1999, he was Director-General of the Department of Foreign Affairs in President Nelson Mandela's government. In 2000, newly elected President
Thabo Mbeki Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki KStJ (; born 18 June 1942) is a South African politician who was the second president of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008, when he resigned at the request of his party, the African National Congress (ANC ...
appointed him National Commissioner of the
South African Police Service The South African Police Service (SAPS) is the national police force of the Republic of South Africa. Its 1,154 police stations in South Africa are divided according to the provincial borders, and a Provincial Commissioner is appointed in ea ...
(SAPS). In 2002, while SAPS Commissioner, Selebi was named a vice president of
Interpol The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cri ...
. In 2004, he became its first African president.


Conviction, parole, and death

In January 2008, Selebi resigned from Interpol in order to deal with the corruption allegations against him. He was also put on "extended leave" by Mbeki, reportedly at his own request – effectively, he was suspended, and Tim Williams was appointed acting National Commissioner. He was convicted of corruption in July 2010 and sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment. In December 2011, he reportedly collapsed in his home after learning that his final appeal had been rejected, and was hospitalised. When he began serving his prison sentence later that month, he was moved immediately to the hospital ward. After serving fewer than 250 days of his sentence, he was granted medical parole in July 2012, on the grounds that he had end-stage
renal failure Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as eit ...
. He was released to his home in Waterkloof, Gauteng, where he remained under supervision, and where he reportedly received dialysis several times daily. He died in hospital in
Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends eastward into the foot ...
on 23 January 2015, at the age of 64. He was married – his wife, Anne Selebi, was a nurse – and had two children.


Controversies


Response to crime rate

In January 2007, Selebi was criticised for his response to a question from the Standing Committee on Public Accounts about police training ahead of the
2010 Soccer World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
. "What's all the fuss about crime?" he asked. He said that crime had decreased since the
Rugby World Cup The Rugby World Cup is a men's rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams. The tournament is administered by World Rugby, the sport's international governing body. The winners are awarded the Webb E ...
was held in South Africa in 1995, and that there was "no reason for a frenzy about 2010."


Legalising prostitution

In March 2007, Selebi suggested to a parliamentary committee that prostitution and public drinking should be legalised for the duration of the 2010 World Cup, in order to reduce the policing burden. Some opposition parties and civil society groups expressed dismay.


Corruption charges


Investigation and arrest

By late 2006, Selebi was known to be under investigation by the
Scorpions Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always end ...
for corruption.
Thabo Mbeki Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki KStJ (; born 18 June 1942) is a South African politician who was the second president of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008, when he resigned at the request of his party, the African National Congress (ANC ...
, who was president at the time, has since said that the Scorpions' investigation into Selebi grew out of investigations into the 2005 murder of mining magnate and ANC donor Brett Kebble. The investigation concerned, among other things, Selebi's relationship with Glenn Agliotti, who in 2006 pleaded guilty to drug smuggling and was charged with Kebble's murder (he was acquitted in November 2010). Agliotti called Selebi from the scene of the Kebble's murder, and much media attention was given to the extent of their friendship and the extent of Selebi's knowledge of Agliotti's criminal activities. Selebi infamously said of Agliotti, the day after Agliotti's arrest for murder, "He is my friend, finish and klaar and that's that'" In September 2007, arrest and search warrants were issued against Selebi, and then withdrawn. Shortly afterwards, Mbeki suspended the director of public prosecutions, Vusi Pikoli. Selebi was known as a close ally of Mbeki, and Mbeki had defended him in the media. Some accused of Mbeki of protecting Selebi from dismissal and prosecution, a charge which he denied strenuously in a 2016 newsletter. In January 2008, the chief prosecutor in the case, Gerrie Nel of the Scorpions, was arrested at his home, apparently for unrelated charges. The charges against Nel were quickly dropped. Speaking at the Mokgoro Commission in 2019, Willie Hofmeyr of the National Prosecuting Agency (NPA) alleged that Nel's arrest had been calculated to delay Selebi's prosecution, and was part of a broader conspiracy to protect Selebi. In the same week, the NPA announced that they intended to charge Selebi with corruption, fraud, money laundering, and racketeering. Selebi approached the Pretoria High Court, asking the court to block the state from laying charges against him for corruption. In order to deal with the allegations against him, he resigned from Interpol, and went on "extended leave" from his SAPS position. On 31 January 2008, he made his first appearance in the Randburg Regional Court, where he was charged with three counts of corruption and one count of defeating the ends of justice.


Trial

After several delays, the trial began on 5 October 2009, with Nel acting as chief prosecutor. The prosecution alleged that Selebi had accepted bribes and gifts from Kebble, Agliotti, and businessman Muller Conrad Rautenbach. In exchange, Selebi had allegedly provided information about police investigations and preferential police treatment. Agliotti, who testified as part of an agreement that he would not be prosecuted for related offences, said in court that he had paid Selebi over R1.2 million in bribes. He claimed that he, Selebi, and their partners had gone shopping together in
Sandton City Sandton City is a large shopping mall situated in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa. It was built and owned by property development company Rapp and Maister, in partnership with brothers Hilliard and Eli Leibowitz, and was later taken over by ...
, with Agliotti paying for the clothes they bought. He also claimed to have bought Selebi's wife a R10 000 red patent Louis Vuitton handbag for her birthday. Selebi denied the charges and pleaded not guilty. He claimed that the charges against him were part of a political conspiracy – driven in particular by former members of the Scorpions – and that evidence against him had been fabricated by Pikoli and
Bulelani Ngcuka Bulelani T. Ngcuka (pronounced ; born 2 May 1954) is a South African attorney, prosecutor and activist, who served as the first Director of Public Prosecutions in South Africa, and is the husband of former Deputy President of South Africa Phumz ...
of the NPA, both of whom he implicated in corrupt activities of their own. He said in court that the trial involved "malicious prosecution and an attempt to discredit me." Nel, of the prosecution, was also accused of corruption during the trial.


Conviction and sentencing

On 2 July 2010, Selebi was found guilty of corruption. Judge Meyer Joffe of the Johannesburg High Court said that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Selebi had accepted money in exchange for favours. He said that Selebi had furthermore shown "complete contempt for the truth" and "low moral fibre," including by falsely accusing a witness of lying during the trial. Selebi was found not guilty of the further charge of defeating the ends of justice. On 3 August 2010, Selebi was sentenced to fifteen years' imprisonment. In the sentencing hearing, Judge Joffe said that Selebi had showed no remorse, had lied in court, and was "an embarrassment to all right-thinking citizens of South Africa." He was released on bail of R20 000, pending an appeal application. The Supreme Court of Appeal upheld his conviction on 2 December 2011.


Fall-out from the case

Vusi Pikoli of the NPA was suspended in 2007, by Mbeki, and subsequently fired in 2009, by Mbeki's successor, Kgalema Motlanthe. Pikoli claimed that he was removed because of his role in prosecuting Selebi. Prosecutor Billy Downer has described Pikoli's removal as "an all-time low on the rule-of-law barometer." The
Scorpions Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always end ...
were disbanded in 2008, with at least some commentators linking the decision to the unit's investigations into and cases against Selebi and Jacob Zuma, another prominent ANC politician. The court proceedings also uncovered accusations that Mulangi Mphego, who was head of Crime Intelligence at the time, had intervened in the case to obtain Agliotti's testimony by illegitimate means. He resigned in 2009 and was charged with defeating the ends of justice, although the charge was later dropped. Former deputy of the NPA Nomgcobo Jiba has also been subject to accusations, which she denies, that she was involved in attempts to obstruct the prosecution. In 2010, the
South African Revenue Service The South African Revenue Service (SARS) is the revenue service of the South African government. It administers the country's tax system and customs service, and enforces compliance with related legislation. It is governed by the SARS Act 34 of ...
s laid a complaint against certain NPA officials in the prosecuting team, which the NPA referred to the
Hawks Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica. * The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. This subfamily ...
for investigation. In July 2014, the NPA began an internal investigation into Selebi's prosecution, after Selebi's family and legal team filed a complaint of misconduct, alleging that the prosecution had not revealed all the evidence in its possession during the trial.
Shaun Abrahams Shaun Abrahams is a South African lawyer and the former national director of public prosecutions (NDPP) at the National Prosecuting Authority. Prior to his appointment in 2015 when Mxolisi Nxasana stepped down as NDPP, Abrahams had been a seni ...
led the investigation.


Notes


External links


Profile at South African Police Service
{{DEFAULTSORT:Selebi, Jackie 1950 births 2015 deaths People from Johannesburg South African police officers convicted of crimes Police officers convicted of corruption Interpol officials African National Congress politicians Members of the National Assembly of South Africa South African politicians convicted of fraud Permanent Representatives of South Africa to the United Nations South African prisoners and detainees Prisoners and detainees of South Africa South African police officers Politicians convicted of corruption Corruption in South Africa