Selebi died in a Pretoria hospital on January 23.
Sotyu also visited Selebi’s family this morning (January 27), to convey condolences on behalf of her department.
“I wish to extend my message of condolences to soothe and comfort the family in this difficult time,” she said in a statement.
“May his departed soul be blessed with eternal peace, and may his family find strength and support as they cope with this grave loss.”
The minister said she is greatly saddened and deeply hurt by the passing of Selebi, adding that she had known and worked with Selebi in both his capacity as a comrade in the ANC, and as a colleague in government.
When Selebi was National Commissioner of Police, Sotyu was a member of parliament and chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Safety and Security (as it was known then).
“As the National Commissioner of Police, Selebi was a dedicated and a committed senior official of Government, who served the South African Police Service and his country, with excellence and with passion. The work space we shared was cordial and professional,” she said
Sotyu added that she remains appalled by all those who continue to vilify Selebi, even questioning the credible reasons behind his parole.
“We must indeed continue commemorating the legacy that he left us as a nation, in his sterling work as a member of the liberation movement, the African National Congress,” concluded the Deputy Minister of Police.
-@FanieBoksburg
