WITH currently 800 South Africans doing time in foreign jails, International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has urged travellers to familiarise themselves with foreign laws and desist from illegal activity.

“The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Lindiwe Sisulu, has expressed concern about the high number of South Africans detained abroad on a variety of charges, predominantly drug-related.

“The department once again calls on South Africans travelling abroad to familiarise themselves with the legal and cultural practices of the countries they are visiting. South Africans are warned against taking part in any unlawful activities,” said Sisulu.

Related story: South African sentenced to death in Vietnam for cocaine trafficking

The Minister’s call follows a death sentence handed down to a South African man in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on Tuesday.

The man was arrested and charged with drug smuggling in 2016. An official from the South African mission in Vietnam was in court when the sentence was handed down.

“The family of the man has been informed of the latest developments, and the department is rendering consular support to them.

“The department will continue to monitor the case and will take the lead from the concerned citizen with regard to the possibility of appealing the sentence,” said the Minster.

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