The African National Congress (ANC) on Tuesday distanced itself from former police national commissioner Jackie Selebi, who was sentenced to 15 years’ jail time for corruption by the South Gauteng High Court.
ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe addressed editors at Lillesleaf farm, where he was asked to comment on the sentence for Selebi, who was seen as a top ANC cadre.
Several former ANC bigwigs, including former deputy minister of foreign affairs Aziz Pahad, were called to testify in favour of Selebi at his sentencing hearing, but Judge Meyer Joffe nevertheless imposed the minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment on the former police chief, who was bribed by gangster Glenn Agliotti.
The ANC usually claims that party members are deployed to top government positions to fulfil the ANC’s mission in government.
Hung out to dry
But on Tuesday Selebi was hung out to dry.
Taking a jibe at former president Thabo Mbeki, Mantashe said, when asked to comment on the judge’s finding that said Selebi was an “embarrassment” to South Africa and the police, “You are a disappointment to those who appointed you, not those who deployed you.”
Mbeki used to be criticised for not consulting with the ANC when he made decisions, also about putting cadres in government positions. Mantashe’s comments imply the current ANC leadership cannot take responsibility for Selebi’s deployment, and conviction, because it had no say in the process.
The reaction to Selebi is, however, in stark contrast to that of Tony Yengeni, who was found guilty of fraud in 2003, but was physically escorted to the gates of prison by ANC leaders and supporters. This time it was clear there was no sympathy for Selebi.
‘Selebi has a right to appeal’
Mantashe said the ANC “can’t have different rules for the ANC and for society”, and the Selebi judgement shows that the criminal justice system is up and running.
“We won’t rubbish the judgement, but Selebi has a right to appeal.”
He refused to comment on the fact that Selebi was an ANC deployee, saying: “We shouldn’t describe citizens as properties of the ANC.” This attitude is a far cry from the ANC’s usual take on deployment, which is that ANC cadres get placed in strategic positions in government and society on instruction by the ANC. They can therefore also be “recalled” — the most famous incident being the recall of Mbeki.
Mantashe and ANC national executive member Yengeni, who was also present at the briefing, emphasised that the media pay more attention to a convicted criminal “when that person smells of the ANC”, implying that the media focuses more on criminal cases of ANC members than that of non-ANC members.