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Johannesburg - Just because former police commissioner Jackie Selebi fell from grace does not mean he should not be remembered for the good he did, ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe said on Wednesday.
"There was arrest, prosecution and conviction of a cadre of our movement a great leader of our movement and... we can't take that away from Jackie," he told reporters in Johannesburg.
"What is important is that we must never throw away the contribution of Jackie Selebi today."
Selebi died on Friday aged 64. He had reportedly suffered from diabetes and kidney problems. Selebi was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment on 3 August 2010, for taking bribes from convicted drug dealer Glenn Agliotti. The former head of Interpol started serving his sentence in 2011, after being found guilty of corruption in 2010.
He was released from Pretoria Central Prison on medical parole less than a year later.
On Tuesday, the ANC announced it would pay for Selebi's funeral, to be held in Pretoria on Saturday. It was also paying for Thursday evening's memorial service.
Mantashe on Wednesday denied claims that the African National Congress had betrayed Selebi.
"Should we go and say to the justice system please don't try him because he's a great cadre of the movement?"
He said he had an issue with people referring to Selebi as "disgraced".
There were people, such as Agliotti who were able to "buy" themselves out of jail, he said.
"[Agliotti gets a] plea bargain and he goes free. For me that is a contradiction. Real thieves are walking free."
