The South African embassy in Indonesia has asked the government there for access to two South Africans arrested with R7 million worth of crystal methamphetamine in their possession. Officials are still waiting for the request to be approved. Brett Savage, from Townsview in Joburg, was arrested on October 19 carrying just under 3kg of the drug known locally as tik. Four days later, Kedibone Sheila Motshweneng was arrested with just under 2.5kg of the same drug. But Albie Laubscher, acting chief director consular services within the Department of International Relations and Co-operation, said no formal communication of the arrests was received from the Indonesian government until November 4. The embassy became aware of the arrest through media reports in the local Indonesian newspapers. Laubscher said they still did not know what charges Savage and Motshweneng were facing. “Until the embassy has had an opportunity to visit the detainees and independently determine the circumstances, Dirco (the Department of International Relations and Co-operation) cannot comment,” he said. It is understood that both face a possible death sentence under Article 113 of Indonesia’s anti-narcotics laws. Savage and Motshweneng were among six drug mules caught as part of a Bali syndicate, according to media reports in the Jakarta Post newspaper.
