No state funeral for Selebi

20/11/2015 Former Monister of Communications Siphiwe Nyanda is seen leaving the home of the late former police commissioner Jackie Selebi in Watrekloof Ridge after a brief visit. Picture: Phill Magakoe

20/11/2015 Former Monister of Communications Siphiwe Nyanda is seen leaving the home of the late former police commissioner Jackie Selebi in Watrekloof Ridge after a brief visit. Picture: Phill Magakoe

Published Jan 27, 2015

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Johannesburg - Jackie Selebi will not receive a state funeral, says the ANC.

A team from the ruling party is however helping to organise his memorial service.

The news came as friends, family and ANC members continued to flock to the Selebi home in Waterkloof Ridge, Pretoria, on Monday following the death of the disgraced police commissioner.

Selebi, who was sentenced to 15 years for accepting bribes from convicted drug dealer Glenn Agliotti, died on Friday, reportedly from kidney and diabetes-related issues.

There has been widespread interest whether Selebi’s family would request a state funeral for the controversial figure, but ANC spokesman Keith Khoza said on Monday night it would not happen.

Selebi family spokesman Nthato Selebi said the party had been key in assisting the family plan the memorial service on Thursday and the funeral on Saturday. The details would be announced on Tuesday.

Nthato said that while the option of a state funeral had been discussed, the key government figures who made such decisions were not in the country, and thus the ANC’s committee was planning the events as though they were not state-sanctioned.

He said Selebi’s last will and testament, as well as his estate, were nowhere near finalised.

A source close to the legal team that worked on Selebi’s lengthy case said he technically owed his lawyers millions of rand – and even though the team had come to a much lower cost settlement, they had never been paid. The money should come out of Selebi’s estate.

However, Selebi’s long-time legal representative, Wynanda Coetzee, said she would not be making any claims from the estate.

She said the team had agreed to continue working pro bono on Selebi’s appeal because they had “believed in his case”.

Police commissioner General Riah Phiyega on Monday sent condolences to Selebi’s family.

 

She said the SAPS would reflect on Selebi’s “many selfless acts”, including working towards the banning of landmines and being part of the group that helped to repatriate ANC exiles.

Among those paying their respects at Selebi’s home was former minister of communications Siphiwe Nyanda.

He was followed by Deputy Minister of Police Makhotso Sotyu who expressed her condolences.

“I am not only greatly saddened, but also deeply hurt by the passing of Mr Jackie Selebi ,” she said, adding that Selebi was a dedicated individual who showed a great work ethic.

Selebi fell from grace after being found guilty of corruption and taking bribes from Agliotti in 2010.

He was sentenced to 15 years in jail in 2011, but was released on medical parole on July 2012.

The Star

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