Drug mule’s parents ask for pardon

Durban - The parents of convicted drug mule Tessa Beetge have appealed to Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff to grant their daughter an official pardon.

In a letter sent to Rousseff, Gert and Marie Swanepoel inform the president about the latest developments in the drug trafficking case – the jailing of the pair who recruited her – in the hope that it would lead to a reduction in their daughter’s sentence, or even a full pardon.

The Margate parents said Beetge’s two teenage daughters had not seen their mother in more than four years. The girls, aged 13 and 15, were yearning to be reunited with their mother, they said.

“[We] would like to appeal for your leniency in granting our daughter an official pardon so that she will be reunited with her two minor daughters and family,” the letter reads.

Beetge, 35, was arrested at São Paulo Airport in possession of more than 10kg of cocaine.

She is serving an eight-year sentence at the Penitenciária Feminina da Capital prison in São Paulo, Brazil’s largest city.

She was recruited by Sheryl Cwele and her accomplice, Frank Nabolisa, and has already served half her sentence.

Cwele, 51, the former wife of State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele, and Nabolisa started serving their 20-year sentences at Westville Prison two weeks ago after they failed to have their convictions overturned by the Supreme Court of Appeal. The court also increased their sentences from 12 to 20 years.

Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge, Piet Koen, had earlier found them guilty of recruiting Beetge and another woman, Charmaine Moss, to smuggle cocaine into South Africa.

Moss testified that she had been approached by Cwele, who was a Hibiscus Coast Municipality executive at the time, about a job opportunity, but had turned it down.

In the letter, the Swanepoels attached a copy of the sentence, judgment and proof of Cwele and Nabolisa’s imprisonment.

Apologising on their daughter’s behalf, the Swanepoels said they realised the severity of their daughter’s actions.

“We realise this happened in your country, which has made it very difficult for all concerned, of which my daughter has had no control over (sic),” they wrote. “I would like to apologise in this connection for all the problems concerned.”

The Swanepoels thanked the Brazilian authorities for looking after their daughter during her imprisonment.

“Your kind consideration will be greatly appreciated and I am sure will be noted by all South African citizens who have been very supportive to our family and as Tessa’s parents we would be eternally grateful to be reunited with her.”

Marie Swanepoel said yesterday she would make a follow-up phone call in the coming weeks to see whether Rousseff had received the letter.

Marie, who is allowed two 15-minute phone calls to her daughter – on her birthday in May and at Christmas – said she was also looking forward to speaking to her daughter soon.

“I actually prefer calling her before Christmas day because I find that I can’t get through if I call her on the day,” she said.

“I can’t wait to speak to her. And I can only hope that the Brazilian president considers our heartfelt plea and releases our daughter early so we can all see her. We have missed her so much.” - Daily News