Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 19-03-2018
The daughter of a former South African National Defence Forces (SANDF) colonel who was sentenced to death by hanging in a Juba court in South Sudan her family is crushed by the decision.
In an exclusive Interview with Radio Islam on Monday, Gweneth Endley says her family have appealed the sentence and are awaiting the judgment.
Gweneth’s 55-year-old father William Endley has been accused by South Sudan of espionage, waging an insurgency, sabotage, terrorism, illegal entry into South Sudan including charges of conspiracy and attempts to overthrow the government and the supply of weapons.
William formerly served as an adviser to rebel leader Riek Machar, the leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) who is currently in exile in South Africa.
Gweneth says the decision by the South Sudanese government to sentence her father to death has not been easy on the family.
“This is not an everyday happening. We know my father has always been a peacekeeper and now they want to kill him for it. So it’s crushed my family at this stage. We are just trying to keep it together.”
Gweneth says her father is getting assistance from the South African International Relations Department in South Sudan.
“Dirco does have a mission in Juba that every now and again do visit my father, once a month basically because we send money for him, because you can understand there’s no food or water or anything in that country. They’re trying to help where they can, but their hands are also tied.”
Gweneth has reiterated that her father did not interfere with politics in South Sudan and was only performing his duties as a security contractor to help Machar’s forces integrate into the South Sudanese Army and implement the peace deal.
Listen to the interview with Gweneth Endley
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