Minister’s ex claims ‘unfair treatment’ by KZN prison
PRISON authorities have rejected a bid by the ex-wife of cabinet minister Siyabonga Cwele to be moved to another jail so that she could be closer to her mother and children.
This emerged in court papers lodged by convicted drug dealer Sheryl Cwele in the High Court in Pietermaritzburg this week.
She wanted the court to compel the Department of Correctional Services to consider her for correctional supervision.
Cwele, 54, was sentenced to 12 years for her part in an international drug scandal involving South African Tessa Beetge, who was used as a mule and jailed in Brazil.
Cwele said she had “begged” the head of the female prison, a Mrs Mkhize, to move her to New Hanover Prison, a smaller facility in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, so that she could be close to her “support system”.
“My mother, who is my support system, cannot afford to come visit me [in] Durban as it’s far.
“I was informed that I do not qualify for transfer as my sentence is too big and New Hanover Prison only accepts people who have lesser sentences,” said Cwele.
Cwele said she questioned how three other Westville Prison inmates with longer sentences had been moved to New Hanover.
“I asked that special arrangements be made for me as well,” she said.
Cwele said she wanted her sentence to be converted to correctional supervision, according to which she would serve the remainder at home.
She cited the denied relocation as proof of unfair treatment by prison authorities. The case was adjourned indefinitely.
The Sunday Times exposed Cwele’s involvement in a cocainesmuggling ring in 2009, following Beetge’s arrest.
Beetge left South Africa on May 21 2008 and was arrested in Brazil on June 13. She was in transit to Johannesburg when a 9kg block of cocaine was found in her suitcase at São Paulo’s airport.
In 2011, Cwele and Nigerian Frank Nabolisa were convicted for recruiting Beetge.
Correctional services regional spokesman Thulani Mdluli had not responded to questions at the time of going to press.