Sheryl Cwele is not a happy bunny today, she and her guilty-as-charged co-accused, Frank Nabolisa, have had their prison sentences increased to 20 years by the Supreme Court of Appeal. The pair were found guilty in May 2011 of drug dealing by the Pietermaritzburg High Court and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment each.

In a spectacular fail, Cwele – former wife of State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele  – had appealed to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) against her conviction alone, while Nabolisa appealed both his conviction and sentence. The SCA obviously saw nothing new in the case and dismissed their appeals against their convictions. Not only that but the court set aside the sentences imposed by the trial court and replaced them with a sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment for each of them.

It’s like asking a waiter to heat up your food at a restaurant and instead getting back a bowl full of nails.

If you haven’t heard the back story, and are feeling a little sorry for Cwele, let us fill you in. The pair were convicted in May last year of recruiting South Coast women Tessa Beetge and Charmaine Moss to import cocaine on the pretence that they had organised them jobs overseas.

A sensible Moss turned down the offer after Cwele told her the “job” was to bring a parcel back for Nabolisa. Unfortunately for Beetge , she 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.

Cwele has repeatedly told the media that she is innocent and that her belief in God would help her. No one is listening to you Sheryl, especially not the Supreme Court of Appeals.

[Source: IOL]