Johannesburg - About 9am on Friday, Tim Williams stood in the intensive care unit at the Jacaranda Hospital and shook his head.
He could see that his friend and comrade of many years, Jackie Selebi, was terminally ill.
“It was not good to see someone you had known for so many years, worked with for so many years in that state. He had been doing so well… he walked into the hospital for regular check-ups,” Williams said.
Williams spent many years working with Selebi in the SAPS and replaced him as acting national commissioner when he stepped down.
Next to him in the ward was Welile Nhlapo, a veteran diplomat and friend of Selebi for many years, and Mulangi Mphego, his decades-old friend, comrade and the former head of the SAPS crime intelligence unit.
The three had been summoned to the hospital at 6am on Friday by Selebi’s wife, Anne.
Yesterday, they spoke about their friend, comrade and his last few weeks.
They revealed that Selebi had a fear of hospitals and doctors and at some point had demanded that he be sent to prison instead of being confined to a hospital ward.
Nhlapo said Selebi’s last day was the most difficult.
He had seen him a few times before.
He said Selebi had been deliberately sedated so that he could be kept in hospital longer for the treatment.
They revealed Selebi had, in fact, spent the whole of December in hospital, having been admitted when he went for a check-up earlier in the month.
“When Anne had earlier taken me along to the hospital, the nurse was excited about his progress and asked me to try speak to him about anything, and that he would respond.
“I tried all the jokes that I knew usually made him laugh, but he was struggling to react.
“You could see he was trying to open his eyes and mouth, but he was also tired,” said Nhlapo.
Nhlapo said he had a fear that when Selebi eventually woke up, he would be horrified by the large machines that were being used to help him.
According to Nhlapo, despite Selebi’s deteriorating health, there was always hope that he could recover.
Just after 9am on Friday, Williams, Nhlapo and Mphego left the ICU ward and left Selebi with his wife and nurse.
At 9.15am, the nurse emerged from the ward and broke the sad news.
The trio were stunned.
After comforting each other they went to Selebi’s house. Mphego then went home, parked in his garage and wept like a baby.“I went home and after parking the car in the garage, I sat there and cried. It was sinking in that Jackie had died.
“My daughter had to come to the garage and take me to the house. Even now she remains worried about me.
“He never wanted to speak about his illness. I was close to him but for many years I had no idea that he was sick,” said Mphego.
Selebi’s former spokesman and close aide Selby Bokaba, yesterday spoke fondly of Selebi, but was aggrieved about the scepticism that surrounded his illness.
“Here’s a man who was very ill, taking strong medication four times a day, yet we were being told that his sickness was not real.
“When he did find some strength and managed to be driven to the shops to buy newspapers, we were then told that he was healthy and there’s no illness,” said Bokaba, who has been spending time at the Selebi residence since Friday.
Since Selebi’s death, family friends and comrades have been arriving in numbers to pay their last respects.
Current and former cabinet ministers, public servants and ANC politicians were among those spotted at Selebi’s home yesterday.
Among those seen at the Waterkloof home yesterday were former cabinet ministers Aziz Pahad, Zola Skweyiya, Charles Nqakula and his wife Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.
Former North West premier and senior ANC member Popo Molefe and former president Thabo Mbeki’s wife Zanele also came to pay their respects.
Scores of family members, including nephews and nieces of the former top cop, came in droves to offer support to the family.
Selebi’s passing has evoked mixed reactions from various quarters, but even his detractors have acknowledged the great contribution he made to the country’s liberation struggle.
The ANC has hailed him as a gallant fighter for the movement, and acknowledged his contribution in, among other roles, police commissioner, permanent secretary to the UN, and as director-general of the then Foreign Affairs Department.
Details of Selebi’s funeral arrangements have yet to be finalised, but he is expected to buried on Saturday, with a memorial service on Thursday. - Sunday Tribune