The Mail & Guardian report claiming links between National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi and associates of slain mining magnate Brett Kebble are an attempt to tarnish his image by people opposed to police restructuring, the South African Police Union (Sapu) said on Saturday.
Sapu president Mpho Kwinika said in a statement that the allegations were ”malicious” and the ”evil hand” of opponents of the restructuring of the police service.
The response follows a front-page report in the Mail & Guardian on Friday claiming Selebi was linked to a ”shadowy” network of figures associated with Kebble.
The newspaper’s investigation, which began before Kebble’s death, had revealed ”a web of relationships” connecting Selebi to Clinton Nassif and Glenn Agliotti, who worked with Kebble on a series of ”security” and other projects.
Kwinika said Sapu was ”disgusted” by this report adding the union was ”resolute” in its confidence in Selebi.
He said it was a ”strange coincidence” that the report came out after Selebi had started restructuring the police service.
Selebi’s four deputies, Hamilton Hlele, Mala Singh, Tim Williams and Andre Pruis, also declared their confidence in him publicly on Friday.
Speaking on their behalf, Pruis said: ”It is clear that an individual or group of individuals has set out to smear the name of the national commissioner.”
”An unbiased public will undoubtedly see this article for what it is and the only question left unanswered is: who is the malicious influence behind the scenes?” Pruis asked.
In his own defence, Selebi told the M&G: ”They can look at anything about it. I’d say, ‘Go ahead.’ I’ll still be sitting here and there will be nothing that comes out of that. I’m not bothered.”
Kebble was shot dead behind the steering wheel of his car in Johannesburg in September last year. ‒ Sapa