SA man’s death term in S Sudan

AFTER 18 months of waiting to know the fate of her husband, yesterday’s courtroom verdict came as a hammer blow for Sana Endley.

William Endley, 55, has been sentenced to death in a South Sudanese court after he was convicted of conspiracy and attempting to overthrow the government.

Endley, who is a retired SANDF colonel, was sentenced to hang after six witnesses for his defence failed to appear.

The presiding judge Ladu Eriminio Sekwat then declared the defence case closed.

Endley was arrested in August 2016 after fighting broke out between the former South Sudanese vice-president Riek Machar and soldiers loyal to President Salva Kiir. Endley was working for Machar as a security contractor.

His first court appearance was on February 13.

Endley’s defence argued he was performing his duties to help Machar’s forces integrate into the South Sudanese Army.

Sana said her husband would appeal his sentence and believed he had 12 days to do so.

In the days leading up to yesterday’s verdict, Endley’s family had prayed that he would be either given a light sentence or be released.

“We have just asked everyone, both locally and overseas, to just pray because we don’t know what else to do. The problem is that everything is just so unpredictable,” said Sana.

Since Endley has been detained, his family have only received one phone call from him, on December 16, last year.

“Basically it was a twominute call when the South African ambassador visited him. He sounded great, he sounded strong, healthy and normal. And he did say that his prison conditions had improved. It was a monitored call.”

Endley’s family have been allowed to send him money, food and medication.

Yesterday, spokesperson for the Department of International Relations and Co-operation Nelson Kgwete said it was waiting for the embassy in South Sudan to brief its head office and a decision would be made on how to proceed.

Head of future scenarios at the Institute of Security Studies Jakkie Cilliers said: “South Africa is duty bound to appeal this sentence as it goes against our constitution, which doesn’t support the death penalty.”

Cilliers said communication could take place at a high governmental level between the two countries.

William Endley