Call for patience on Dewani extradition

Caryn Dolley

SOUTH Africans to been warned they will have to exercise patience over the extradition of Shrien Dewani, after it was announced that he planned to appeal a UK extradition order that was made against him last week.

And the best friend of murder victim Anni Dewani, wife of Shrien, has been left distraught after receiving a vicious message criticising her for not doing more to save Anni’s life.

Last week, the UK Home Secretary Theresa May signed Dewani’s extradition order, granting permission, pending any application for appeal, for South African authorities to bring him to Cape Town to stand trial for his wife’s November 13 murder in Khayelitsha, Cape Town. He was given 14 days during which he could lodge an appeal against the extradition.

Four days later, Dewani’s legal representatives announced that they planned to appeal.

Yesterday, National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga said the registrar of the British High Court would notify local authorities once the appeal itself had been filed. South African authorities would then be given a date by which they would have to file their intention to press on with the extradition.

“The matter will be set down for argument. It’s likely to be quite a protracted process, so South Africans must exercise some patience,” Mhaga said.

Had Dewani not decided to appeal, he could have been forced to return to South Africa by as early as October 10.

South African authorities want Dewani, who is accused of orchestrating Anni’s murder, to return so that he can stand trial with his local co-accused, Mziwamadoda Qwabe and Xolile Mngeni.

Meanwhile, Anni’s best friend, Sneha Hindocha, has been receiving a string of hurtful messages about her and her friend.

The latest message, via Facebook, stated: “At the prayers in bristol you lied to everyone. if you really knew that then you should have done something about it – you could have saved her life. ps. hope you are comfortable in all your dead cousin’s sari’s (sic) that you have taken…”

The 27-year-old believes the message may have been sent by supporters of Shrien Dewani.

The Facebook missive was one of five threatening messages Hindocha says were sent to her after it was reported she had told police that Anni had considered calling off her wedding because she was unsure if she loved her husband.

Hindocha believes the message may have been sent by a supporter of Dewani because the only prayers she attended in Bristol took place at Dewani’s Dewahome in Westbury-on-Trym, days after Anni’s murder.

The Facebook message was sent under the name Sneha Mushru – the name Hindocha will take when she marries her fiancée next year.

This further convinced her the sender had knowledge of the Hindocha family.

She said the cruel words in the message had hurt her deeply. – Additional reporting by Daily Mail