Dewani's claims may restore SA's name

Johannesburg - The Congress of SA Trade Unions hoped the implication on Tuesday of a non-South African in the murder of tourist Anni Dewani would help restore the country's reputation.

"Let us hope that the swift and efficient way in which this case has been dealt with, and the fact that it is now becoming clear that it was planned by a non-South African, will help to restore the country’s reputation to the levels we achieved during and after the World Cup," the union federation said in a statement.

Earlier, Anni's husband Shrien was implicated in a plea bargain agreement by taxi driver Zola Tonga. Tonga alleged Shrien had offered R15 000 to kill a woman.

After an allegedly faked hijacking in Gugulethu, Shrien and Tonga were evicted from their vehicle. Anni was found dead the following day.

Cosatu was concerned at the damage the case was doing to South Africa's reputation. It felt the murder appeared to have been planned for South Africa, on the assumption that hijacking and murder were commonplace in the country.

"The implication is that this would seem credible given the high levels of crime in the country."

This had enabled international media to continue with "negative propaganda" on the country.

Earlier, British website the Mail Online quoted an unnamed friend of Dewani as saying: "We are just increasingly conscious that there are some people who are definitely trying to set him up. It suits them because an English guy who has done this would be much less damaging to South Africa than if one of their own had done it."

Tonga was sentenced to 18 years behind bars in terms of his plea bargain. The other two men allegedly involved in the murder, Xolile Mnguni, 23, and Mziwamadoda Qwabe, 25, would remain in custody until they appeared in the Wynberg Regional Court again on February 25 next year

New24.com