PROVE IT! Sheryl Cwele maintained her innocence in court. Photo Weekend Witness Photographer.
by ELAINE KING 05 February 2010
Cwele locked herself in office
THE surprise arrest of Sheryl Cwele and the way in which she was whisked away from her workplace at the Hibiscus Coast municipality health and community service office on her second day back from leave according to the Independent Newspaper Group, ties in with the Fever’s experience on arrival minutes after Cwele was taken away.
Independent Newspapers corroborate the time was shortly after 9am and say that Cwele “was dressed in a Football Friday jersey, three-quarter navy pants and sneakers as she was expecting a carefree weekend.”
Her colleagues told the Fever that they locked themselves in their offices indicating their was a commotion of sorts. This is confirmed by Independent Newspapers: “Municipal workers stood outside puzzled at the commotion and Cwele, meanwhile had locked herself in her office refusing to come out. One of seven Hawks members was overheard telling her ‘Please come out. We’re here’. In a state of panic, Cwele replied: ‘I want to speak to my lawyer.’”
Independent Newspapers reported that policemen were seen running around the building to ensure there was no room to escape while Cwele chose to remain put.
Once again although staff did not tell the Fever about the commotion they indicated that when the drama ensued “we all locked ourselves in our offices,” said the lady in the front office.
It was at this point that police decided to call municipal manager S’bu Mkhize to intervene – who according to Independent Newspapers “arrived 15 minutes later and then had a 10-minute conversation in the parking lot before she was bundled into an unmarked white police vehicle uncuffed and carrying her blue denim jacked in her hand.”
“En route to Pietermaritzburg, the convoy of three vehicles made a pit stop at the Pavilion shopping centre for Cwele to use the bathroom. Before being escorted into the shopping centre she was asked to hand over her cell phone since she had already contacted her lawyer,” said Independent Newspapers.
According to this source, none of the shoppers were any the wiser that they were witnessing an interlude in the arrest of a cabinet minister’s wife.
Back in the vehicle, Cwele was driven to a Pietermaritzburg police station where she was formally charged with drug trafficking, dealing in drugs and recruiting mules.
Hibiscus Coast Municipal Director of Health and Community Services Sheryl Cwele is back at her office in Uvongo after being released on R100 000 bail by the Pietermaritzburg High Court last Friday. She was arrested on drug trafficking charges the week before.
Sheryl Cwele
On the one hand, the South Coast Fever was fully justified last week to question the statement of the Hibiscus Coast Municipality which implied that Director Sheryl Cweles leave situation was normal. She has a history of being either on sick leave or on annual leave, or not in her office without leave. This is not a rumour, it is common knowledge.
HIBISCUS Coast Municipality´s Director of Health and Community services, Mrs Sheryl Cwele, who is married to the Intelligence Minister, Dr Siyabonga Cwele, returned to her office last week, after a two mont long sick leave.
Sheryl Cwele is to continue with her duties. Hibiscus Coast Councils Speaker Ronnie Nair briefed journalists on Tuesday at a press conference held at the Civic Centre, that the Director of Health and Community Services was still a productive employee of the municipality. The council had decided not to suspend her pending the court ruling on her charges of drug trafficking. The council took the decision not to fire or suspend her after considering the legal opinion from its lawyers on Tuesday.
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