OWN CORRESPONDENT, Pretoria | Tuesday
THE South African government is aware of 467 of its citizens serving prison sentences in 40 countries abroad, the Department of Foreign Affairs said this week – of which three are on death row.
The countries where most South African prisoners are being held are Brazil (54), Botswana (41), Swaziland (36), Australia (33), Lesotho (32), Peru (27), the US (25), other North American countries (17), Thailand (13), Venezuela (12) and Japan (11).
“The figures have increased fairly dramatically over the past year,” said head of foreign service management Ismail Coovadia.
Most of the 467 prisoners were convicted on drug-related charges. Three South Africans were on death row abroad, as far as the government knew.
Reports have named 22-year-old Bongani Mkhwanazi of Durban as being on death row in Swaziland for murdering a teacher in March 1998. Lehlohonolo Bernard Kobedi, 41, was sentenced to death in Botswana in 1998 for the murder of a policeman.
A third South African, Sebastian Bridges, 37, is to be executed by injection in Nevada in the United States on April 21. He was convicted of killing his estranged wife’s lover. Bridges, who conducted his own defence, reportedly refuses to file an appeal to stop his execution.
Foreign Affairs spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa said the President would be more likely to appeal for clemency but the final decision rests with the authorities in those countries.
Coovadia said the figure of 467 South Africans serving prison sentences abroad might not be complete, as some countries did not convey the information and some detainees preferred confidentiality.
The government’s policy was not to interfere with the judicial process of another state but offered consular services to all detained citizens.
This included liaising with next of kin, monitoring the trial for fairness and ensuring representation. Other consular duties included ensuring the receipt of mail, money and medication with staff often supplying intimate essentials from their own pockets.
Besides drug-related crimes, the charges against the convicts included murder, rape, armed robbery, fraud, theft, embezzlement, burglary, indecent assault and illegal entry, Coovadia said.
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