Convicted Makhanda drug smuggler Nolubabalo “Babsie” Nobanda could be home some time this year.
That is the hope of Henk Vanstaen, a Thailand resident of almost three decades who assists South Africans incarcerated in the kingdom.
According to Vanstaen, the new Thai king is expected to pardon thousands of prisoners when he is officially crowned on May 4.
Nobanda, who was 23 at the time of her arrest in December 2011, was caught by Thai airport officials with 1.5kg of cocaine woven into her dreadlocks. She was subsequently dubbed “Druglocks” by sections of the media.
The former Victoria Girls High School pupil was sentenced to 15 years in Bangkok’s Klong Prem Central prison, but has sought to make the best of her situation by studying and teaching prison authorities English.
She has served almost eight years of her sentence.
Vanstaen, who said he visits her regularly, told the Daily Dispatch on Wednesday that the new Thai monarch, Maha Vajiralongkorn, will be crowned in May.
He ascended the throne after his father, Bhumibol Adulyadej, died in October 2016.
“The expectation is that the king would grant a significant amnesty for this occasion. If this were the case, Babsie will be home this year,” he said.
Two months into his reign in 2016, Vajiralongkorn issued a mass prisoner pardon of 100,000 inmates, a first act of “mercy” after his father’s death.
Vanstaen confirmed that Nobanda was still in Klong Prem prison and was “doing well – insofar as that is possible in that hell hole”.
“I still visit her regularly. She has almost finished her studies in communications with Unisa, and she also has some certificates in Thai cooking and Thai massage,” he said.
Nobanda’s mother, Honjiswa Mbewu, has been in constant contact with Vanstaen, and has been informed about the potential pardon of her daughter.
While she is hopeful that her daughter would be pardoned, she also wants to be be “practical” in her thinking that this might not happen.
“We are hoping she will be released, but it will all depend on the king,” she said.
Mbewu has been corresponding with her daughter through letters.
“She only needs to complete two subjects to get her degree. Unfortunately she needs internet access to complete these and there is no internet access for inmates at the prison.
“But otherwise she has done very well in her course,” Mbewu said.
Her daughter was being strong, she said, and was looking towards the future.
“When she comes out, she wants to be very active in the community. She’s being very positive about the future,” said Mbewu.
Vanstaen has repeatedly lobbied the South African government to enter into a prison transfer agreement with its Thai counterpart, which has extended an invitation to all foreign embassies to this effect.
This would mean that South Africans incarcerated abroad would serve out the remainder of their sentences in local prisons.
During her trial in 2012, Nobanda told the court her close friend, Sulezo Rwanqa, and a Nigerian man called John had persuaded her to go to Brazil under the pretence that she was accompanying Rwanqa to get a job which involved collecting hair chemicals to sell in South Africa.
Once in Sao Paolo, they were met by an older woman who told them they would be smuggling drugs to Thailand.
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