Jackie Selebi Passes Away In Pretoria Hospital After Coma

Sources close to the former National Police Commissioner of South Africa, Jackie Selebi, have confirmed that he passed away in hospital earlier today. Selebi was 64 years old. The political figure had been battling serious health issues for years.


Selebi’s close friend, Shabir Shaik, says that Selebi was a good man, “a very good comrade” during an interview with Power FM. The two men worked together at Shell House in the 90s and shared a number of fond memories of their time there.

Selebi was convicted to 15 years imprisonment on corruption charged in 2010. He was convicted of taking bribes from known drug kingpin Glenn Agliotti, who was never convicted of any wrong-doing. Selebi collapsed at his home when he heard the verdict, and appealed the corruption charge later, but lost. He spent 229 days of his 15 year sentence in prison until he was released on medical parole in July 2012.

His health deteriorated rapidly in recent years, and it is believed that he was in an induced coma for the last two or more weeks.