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South African High Commissioner to Mauritius, Dr Hlamalani Manzini, said there are a worrying number of South Africans in prison on the island nation who have been locked up on drug trafficking charges.

Dr. Manzini said there are currently 38 South African nationals in custody in Mauritius, comprising 23 men and 15 women.

She shared this “worrying” statistic with the Ministry of Social Development, which sent a delegation to repatriate a child of a South African woman imprisoned for drug trafficking.

The child is taken home to live with his grandmother.

Meanwhile, Dr Manzini said the longest prison sentence for a South African man is 25 years, while the longest prison sentence for a woman is 15 years.

“More importantly, many South Africans spend an average of six years in prison while still awaiting trial without bail.

“The woman whose child DSD repatriated has been awaiting trial since her arrest six years ago,” she said.

The High Commissioner emphasized that all South African citizens imprisoned in Mauritius are solely for illegal drug trafficking.

“This information highlights the intersection between illicit drug trafficking and the exposure to vulnerability that children and young families can be exposed to.

This behavior contributes not only to the degradation of social and community values, but also to the destruction of families,” she added.