praag.co.uk

Port Shepstone - The outcome of a disciplinary hearing against convicted drug dealer Sheryl Cwele, wife of State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele, will be discussed by a Hibiscus Coast municipality committee on Thursday.

A full council meeting on Thursday morning resolved the matter be discussed in-committee at the municipality’s chambers in Port Shepstone. This means no reporters will be allowed in.

Cwele, the municipality's director of health services, appeared before a disciplinary committee on Wednesday following her drug dealing conviction.

The Democratic Alliance requested an update on the outcome of the hearing, but the African National Congress suggested that the matter be discussed behind closed doors.

Cwele, currently on suspension with no pay, was not present during the Thursday morning's full council meeting.

Cwele and Nigerian national Frank Nabolisa were sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment each on May 6 by the Pietermaritzburg High Court for drug dealing.

Several days later the council agreed Cwele should not receive an income as of June 10, and that a formal disciplinary hearing should take place.

The pair pleaded not guilty to recruiting drug mule Tessa Beetge, who is serving a prison sentence in Brazil, and attempting to procure another woman, Charmaine Moss, to collect drugs in Turkey. Moss turned down the offer because she suspected something was amiss.

Cwele was appealing her conviction, and was out on R100 000 bail. Nabolisa was currently in custody and intended appealing both the sentence and conviction.