INLSA
Sheryl Cwele, moments before handing herself in to begin her 20-year sentence for drug dealing.
Slipping into the back entrance of the Pietermaritzburg High Court yesterday, in an obvious attempt to dodge the media, convicted drug dealer Sheryl Cwele handed herself over to begin serving her 20-year sentence, 10 minutes early yesterday.
But photographers still managed to snap shots of the glamorous socialite who once hobnobbed with the country’s political elite. Sporting a new hairdo, a black dress and floral coat, Cwele was still as elegant as when she stood trial.
The former wife of State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele was accompanied by her attorney, Madoda Nxumalo, and a brother. They went straight into registrar Ronel Jooste’s office, where she had to surrender herself between 8.30am and 1pm.
Cwele was then taken to the grills, where she waited for about an hour-and-a-half. A contingency of media were present, anxiously waiting to take photographs of her and to get her comments.
Owing to the heavy media presence, the driver of the police van reversed close to the steps of the back entrance of the court grills. Like an ordinary criminal, Cwele effortlessly stepped into the back of the police van, despite her highheeled sandals.
The back door of the van was shut and minutes later, it drove off. The destination was Westville Prison.
Cwele’s hopes of having her name cleared were dashed on Monday when the Supreme Court of Appeal not only confirmed her conviction but increased her jail term from 12 to 20 years.
This left her with three days of freedom.
She had been convicted last year, along with Nigerian Frank Nabolisa, after she was found guilty of recruiting Charmaine Moss and Tessa Beetge to import cocaine on the pretence that they had organised them jobs overseas. Moss turned down the offer after Cwele told her the “job” was to bring a parcel for Nabolisa. Beetge took up the offer and was arrested at Sao Paulo Airport in Brazil for drug trafficking and possessing 10kg of cocaine. She is serving an eight- year jail term in that country.
At the time, Cwele was employed as the director of health and community services at the Hibiscus Coast municipality.
