Bloemfontein - The prison sentences of Sheryl Cwele, former wife of State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele, and her co-accused, were increased to 20 years by the Supreme Court of Appeal on Monday.
Cwele and Frank Nabolisa were found guilty in May 2011 of drug dealing by the Pietermaritzburg High Court and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment each.
Cwele, 50, appealed to the SCA against her conviction only, while Nabolisa appealed both his conviction and sentence.
Both pleaded not guilty to conspiring to deal in drugs, to procuring a woman, Charmaine Moss, to collect drugs in Turkey, and to procuring another woman, Tessa Beetge, to smuggle cocaine from South America.
Nabolisa had been in custody until now, while Cwele was out on R100,000 bail.
The SCA judgment dismissed their appeals against their convictions.
The court set aside the sentences imposed by the trial court and replaced them with a sentence of 20 years' imprisonment for each of them. - Sapa