Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Alfred Nzo, welcomes the appointment of Mr Jacob (Jackie) Sello Selebi as the new Director-General of the Department of Foreign Affairs and is pleased to announce that Mr Selebi will take up his position during June 1998.
Mr Selebi was a representative of the World Federation of Democratic Youth in Budapest, Hungary from 1983 - 1987. Thereafter he was elected Head of the ANC Youth and member of the National Executive Committee of the ANC in 1987. In 1991 he was responsible for the repatriation of ANC exiles and in 1993 was appointed Head of the Department of Welfare of the ANC. Mr Selebi was elected a Member of Parliament during the 1994 elections.
Since his appointment as South Africa's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva in 1995, Ambassador Selebi has distinguished himself by holding the following positions internationally:
- Chairman of the 54th session of the Human Rights Commission of the United Nations.
- Appointed to the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research.
- President of the Anti-Personnel Mine Conference (Oslo)
- President of the Preparatory Committee of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation.
- President of the Mid-term Review of the Trade and Development Board of UNCTAD.
- Chairman of the Preparatory Committee of the 8th Ministerial Meeting of the Group of 77 and China.
Mr Selebi has displayed an in-depth understanding of the challenges facing South Africa as it consolidates its international position. Minister Nzo said. "I believe Mr Selebi is eminently qualified to continue the important task of transforming the Department of Foreign Affairs and to manage South Africa's diplomatic representation abroad. I wish him well in the onerous task ahead of him."
Mr Selebi was born in Johannesburg on 7 March 1950 and is married with two children.
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS CAPE TOWN 27 MAY 1998