KEY POINTS
- Many South African families face limited government support in fighting for their children abroad.
- Baagi Ba South Africa has helped reunite 36 families with imprisoned loved ones.
- Lack of international prisoner transfer agreements makes the fight harder for parents.
For many South African parents, the emotional turmoil of learning that their child has been arrested and imprisoned abroad is compounded by the lack of assistance from the South African government.
Parents like Jeanette Coetzee and Vanessa Cresswell are fighting to bring their children home.
They are doing so despite facing limited support from embassies and government authorities.
Coetzee’s son, Morne Burger, was arrested in Mauritius on Christmas Day after attempting to smuggle cocaine.
Despite the risks, Burger had agreed to act as a drug mule to help a friend whose family was facing foreclosure.
According to IOL, Coetzee was informed of her son’s arrest by a random individual, as the South African authorities never reached out to her.
“I felt like I was hit with a ton of bricks,” Coetzee recalled. “You can’t describe it; he’s your child.”
Despite the shock, Coetzee found solace in staying in contact with her son through Skype, but the South African government has provided no real assistance.
The lack of support is a recurring theme for parents of South African prisoners abroad.
Glory Matipile, founder of Baagi Ba South Africa, an organization dedicated to supporting South Africans incarcerated abroad, advocates for changes to the International Transfer of Prisoners program.
These changes would allow prisoners to serve their sentences in their home country.
Matipile’s organization has helped reunite 36 South Africans with their families over the past six years.
Lack of support for South African parents amplifies struggles
Many South Africans imprisoned abroad are convicted of drug trafficking, with the country being a major hub for the trade.
According to Matipile, drug dealers manipulate vulnerable individuals into becoming drug mules, often with promises of financial stability.
South Africa’s ease of access to international ports has made it a prime location for these activities.
Parents like Vanessa Cresswell and George Petersen have also experienced limited government assistance in their efforts to bring their children home.
Cresswell’s son, Calvin, was arrested in Mauritius for unknowingly carrying cocaine, while Petersen’s son, Bradley Elias, has been in Cambodia since 2022, entangled in a scam.
In both cases, the families feel abandoned by the South African government.
Lack of international prisoner transfer agreements leaves families struggling
The lack of international prisoner transfer agreements remains a significant challenge for families fighting to bring their loved ones home.
Lynn Blignaut, whose daughter Ashley Oosthuizen is imprisoned in Thailand for drug trafficking, has been advocating for better government support.
Blignaut’s daughter was initially sentenced to death. However, her sentence was reduced to 33.4 years.
Despite her tireless efforts to help other parents, Blignaut’s frustration grows. The South African government has provided little more than consular support.
Blignaut advises families facing similar struggles to contact their embassies. She also suggests seeking specialized lawyers in the country where their loved ones are imprisoned.
