'Life is difficult' - Soweto woman on living with drug mule stigma

[schumi]

When convicted drug mule, Nolubabalo Nobanda returned home from serving an eight-year jail term in a Thai prison last month, South Africans were divided over her reception. Many claimed that she did not deserve the “adoration” she received.

Nobanda’s homecoming opened old wounds for Matshepo Khumalo from Orlando East, Soweto, who served almost two years in a Brazilian jail for drug trafficking.

Khumalo said she broke down when she saw Nobanda’s story, feeling relieved that she was finally with her loved ones and also sad for the stigma she would have to carry because of her mistake.

Khumalo said she quietly returned to South Africa in January 2015 after serving 23 months in Rio de Janeiro jail for drug possession. Unlike Nobanda, who knew she was smuggling cocaine stashed in her dreadlocks, Khumalo claimed she became aware of the cocaine in her luggage only when she was busted at the airport.

Her trip with a close male friend was meant to be a relaxing two-week holiday somewhere in Europe to help her clear her head after leaving a job as a personal assistant to a politician.

Instead, she learnt on their way to OR Tambo Airport that they were, in fact, flying out to Brazil on a one-way ticket. Once in the South American country, two weeks turned into two months while they were staying in a hotel in Sao Paulo without a ticket despite her longing and wanting to return home.

Eventually, the friend raised enough money for her to fly back to South Africa via Angola.

Khumalo said her friend set her up to smuggle cocaine hidden in a gift package when the time finally came for her to return home to South Africa.

“I was to travel to South Africa alone. He asked me to take a gift back to a friend at home. I didn’t suspect anything untoward because I saw him buy the Versace toiletries. He insisted I put the gift in my suitcase that would be checked in and not in my hand luggage,” said Khumalo.

More at : https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-af...oman-on-living-with-drug-mule-stigma-34816441

 

[NarrowBandFtw]

ah, so being a convicted criminal piece of shyte is a 'stigma' nowadays, good to know

 

[nightjar]

ah, so being a convicted criminal piece of shyte is a 'stigma' nowadays, good to know

Being a drug mule never did any harm to High Commissioner to Singapore Hazel Francis Ngubeni.

 

[ɹǝuuᴉM]

Drug trafficking and South Africa goes like in glove. It is normal.