INLSA
The countdown for Sheryl Cwele’s 20-year jail term, has begun. Cwele was convicted on drug trafficking charges, recently.
Today is Sheryl Cwele’s last day to choose what clothes she dresses in when she wakes up, her last day to visit friends and family, her last day as a free woman.
After her appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) failed on Monday, Cwele, that ex-wife of State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele, now has no choice but to make her way to the Pietermaritzburg High Court today, office G35, and hand herself over to authorities.
By 1pm, she will officially start her 20-year jail sentence for drug smuggling.
Cwele was originally convicted last year, along with Nigerian Frank Nabolisa, after she was found guilty of recruiting Charmaine Moss and Tessa Beetge to smuggle drugs into SA.
The pair then appealed against the decision to the SCA, which failed, and resulted in their sentences being increased from 12 to 20 years.
Registrar of the high court Renault Jooste said that Cwele had been instructed, by a surrender order, to report to her office, after which she would be taken to Westville Prison.
“The notice was faxed and|e-mailed to Cwele’s lawyers on Tuesday, with the original notice hand-delivered,” said Jooste.
Madoda Nxumalo, Cwele’s lawyer, said he had received the notice, and that he had met Cwele to discuss it.
“I had a consultation with her last night [Tuesday] and advised her of her options. She then asked for time to mull over them,” he said.
When asked what “options” he was referring to, Nxumalo would not elaborate and said he “can’t disclose” that type of information. He refused to comment on whether Cwele would hand herself over within the stipulated period, or whether he would accompany her to the court.
According to Natasha Ramkisson of the NPA, there were no other options left for Cwele. “If she does not hand herself over to the relevant authorities, a warrant for her arrest will be issued and she will be taken into custody. I really hope it does not come to that,” she said.
Nokuthula Zikhali, a spokesman for the prison, said that they “had not even heard about it”, when asked about Cwele’s imminent arrival.
However, Zikhali said normal procedure dictated that if Cwele did arrive at the prison, she would be placed in a holding cell until she was allocated a permanent place.
Once this happened, she would then hand over her personal effects and be fitted with her standard-issue overalls.
Although most would dread a term in prison, Beetge’s mother, Marie Swanepoel, said where Cwele was going would be “a luxury hotel compared to were Tessie is.”
“I am happy about it, but she [Cwele] will still be able to contact her family, Tessie has little contact with the outside world,” she said.
Swanepoel said she had been told by Brazilian authorities that if people were found guilty and sentenced in SA in relation to Beetge’s case, Beetge may be released early.
“I will be contacting them [Brazilian authorities] on Monday,” Swanepoel said. “Hopefully, things will change.”
