Sheryl Cwele job appeal rejected

2011-10-04 15:29

Johannesburg - Convicted drug dealer Sheryl Cwele’s attempts to keep her KwaZulu-Natal municipal job have failed.

"The decision of the appeal committee chairperson effectively terminates the relationship between Ms Cwele and Hibiscus Coast Municipality," municipal manager Sbu Mkhize said on Tuesday.

Cwele, the former wife of State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele, was fired in August after the municipality’s disciplinary committee ruled against her.

She was then given 10 days to appeal the verdict. Her appeal was rejected.

The disciplinary hearing against Cwele began in June this year. It was convened to determine if she should keep her post after she was convicted of drug dealing by the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in May.

Judge Piet Koen convicted her and Nigerian Frank Nabolisa of working together to recruit two women to work as agents to transport drugs from South America.

Cwele, who was employed as the Hibiscus Coast Municipality's director of health services, was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment. She is appealing her drug dealing conviction and is out on R100 000 bail.

Mkhize said Cwele filed her appeal on August 14.

"This necessitated the establishment of an appeals committee to hear the matter, chaired by Brian Denny of Norton Rose South Africa."

The appeal was heard on September 1 and the findings were delivered on September 30, he said.

"The decision was in support of the disciplinary committee chairperson’s ruling on the matter."

The Daily News recently reported that the couple's divorce was finalised in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court on August 23.

Comment could not be immediately obtained from Cwele or her lawyer, Mvuseni Ngubane.

- SAPA