Minister's wife in South Africa convicted for drugs trafficking

[MtamaMchungu]

Sheryl Cwele, wife of
South Africa's intelligence
minister, has been
convicted of drug
trafficking.
Cwele, married to
Siyabonga Cwele, recruited
women to smuggle drugs
into the country from
Turkey and South America,
a judge found.
Allegations of drug
trafficking surfaced in 2009
after the arrest of a South
African woman caught in
Brazil with cocaine worth
$300,000 (£200,000).
Tessa Beetge is currently
serving an eight-year jail
sentence in Sao Paulo.
She was found with 10kg
(22lb) of cocaine in her
luggage.
Cwele was convicted along
with her accomplice Frank
Nabolisa, a Nigerian
national, at the High Court
in Pietermaritzburg.
The pair, who had pleaded
not guilty, face 15 years in
prison. Sentencing is due on
Friday.
The opposition has called
for Mr Cwele to step down,
arguing that if he is not
aware of his wife's illegal
activities, he should no
longer be in charge of the
country's intelligence-
gathering.
Mr Cwele was not in court
on Thursday and has not
commented on the
conviction of his wife,

Source BBC