UPDATE: Lowvelder Elize de Jager in Kenyan court on drug charges

Lowvelder April 21, 2014

MBOMBELA – Messages of support have flooded the Facebook page of former Lowvelder, Elize de Jager (45) since Lowvelder reported on the drug-muling case against her. De Jager was arrested at the airport in Nairobi, Kenya on November 22 last year after 4,5 kilograms of cocaine was allegedly found hidden between clothing and toiletries in luggage with her nametag on it.

After she was denied bail, the trial against her was postponed to April 9 and then again to
May 19. De Jager has denied being a drug mule. Lowvelder recently obtained information about her movements before her arrest. Interviews with a representative of her family and the relatives of a man, Mr Japie Klynhans, who claims that he once muled drugs with De Jager, may have shed some light on the circumstances surrounding her case.

One of Klynhans’ family members who wished to remain anonymous, also told Lowvelder that the two were muling drugs together. She showed the paper correspondence on Facebook between Klynhans and De Jager, dating from October 14 to November 23 last year where they discussed details of drug deals and how the latter had to react in these circumstances.

According to her, Klynhans did muling for a while and she referred to an interview Lowvelder published in January 2014 where he spoke of his ordeals under the pseudonym Dave. In it he painted a picture of uncertainty where he was being sent to and fro by drug lords, had to endure their violence and struggled to receive payment.

“After Japie returned to South Africa, his friendship with Elize grew stronger. They met up in Gonubee and he liked her a lot,” a family member recalled. While the content of their Facebook messages was mostly of a loving nature, it changed on October 22. De Jager mentioned that she hadn’t heard from someone named Jim in a few days and was getting worried. Klynhans’ relatives said that Jim was their contact on the other side. At the time she was still in Brazil waiting for instructions before flying to Kenya.

In the correspondence De Jager said she was waiting for “the goods” that she was supposed to transport to South Africa. She had not heard from the person whom she was completing the task for and grew worried.

Klynhans repeatedly assured her, “It will be quick. Before you know it, it will all be over. They will meet you at McDonalds. You will do some window shopping. You will get your luggage and you will be home soon. If things don’t work out, you have a valid flight ticket either way.”

De Jager’s departure date was then suddenly moved to November 23 and she would have landed at OR Tambo International. Klynhans’ unanswered messages on that date, portrayed his worry. “He was so stressed. After Elize’s arrest, he grew more and more depressed and committed suicide on December 14 last year,” the family member said. The paper presented the correspondence to De Jager’s family, who in return presented her with this information via a telephone conversation last Wednesday. “I asked Elize what McDonalds in Brazil tastes like. She responded with a long silence.” Her legal representative said the correspondence between the two profiles would be handed to the right people in Kenya, along with other relevant information.

On Sunday, Lowvelder was informed that an IT specialist had tracked the IP address of the Facebook account from which Klynhans corresponded. It seemed as though somebody was operating her account from South Africa.

A new Facebook profile was recently opened with De Jager’s name and utilised to collect money for bail, nothwithstanding that bail had been denied. Her legal advisor said the initiative would be terminated immediately.

Lowvelder April 10 2014

NAIROBI – ‘n Voormalige Laevelder het gistermiddag vir die sesde keer in vyf maande in die Milimani Geregshof verskyn nadat sy in November verlede jaar vir die beweerde besit en smokkel van dwelms op die Jomo Kenyatta-lughawe in Kenia gearresteer is. Me. Elize de Jager is in Desember borg geweier en haar verhoor moet nog in aanvang neem.

De Jager het haar huidige tuisdorp, Gonubee, op 4 Oktober 2014 verlaat en na Brasilië gereis. Hiervandaan is sy met ‘n Keniaanse vlug na Benin toe.
De Jager moes op Nairobi van die een vlug na die ander oorklim en is hier gearresteer omdat sy glo in die besit van
4,5 kilogram se kokaïne gevind is. “Dit was in ‘n kleretas verpak saam met vroueklere wat in haar besit gevind is,” het ‘n ingeligte bron aan Laevelder bevestig.

De Jager het op 1 Desember vir die eerste keer in die hof verskyn en het onskuldig gepleit op die klag teen haar.
Sy het aansoek om borg gedoen, maar is na nog twee verskynings borg geweier op grond daarvan dat sy as ‘n vlugrisiko beskou word. Haar verhoor sou op 25 Februarie begin, maar die saak teen haar is uitgestel omdat sy van regsverteenwoordigers verwissel het.

Haar saak is na 5 Maart uitgestel en op daardie dag weer na gister uitgestel. Sy moet weer op 17 Mei in die hof verskyn.