Zephany Nurse’s kidnapper joined two “A-list” prisoners when she started her jail term at the Breede River women’s prison last week.
The 52-year-old Seawinds woman, who cannot be identified, is to serve her prison term at the same facility where “Black Widow” Najwa Dirk and “Baby Killer” Dina Rodrigues are doing time.
The kidnapper was admitted to the jail near Worcester on Wednesday, Management Area spokesperson Simphiwe Xaphe confirmed to the Weekend Argus.
The all-female prison is known as one of the cleaner and more comfortable facilities in the Western Cape.
Rodrigues, who is serving a life sentence for orchestrating the 2005 murder of baby Jordan-Leigh Norton, has been in the same prison since 2007. She received an outstanding achievement award at an academic graduation ceremony in 2012.
Najwa was jailed for 28 years for masterminding the murder of her husband, music legend Taliep Petersen in 2006.
Rodrigues and Petersen were also featured in the press in 2009 when they sat together at a Women’s Day event at the prison, snacking and cracking jokes in their denim overalls.
Now the woman who snatched Zephany from hospital 19 years ago could become part of their inner circle after she was transferred there from Pollsmoor Prison to begin serving her 10-year sentence.
Refused
Her husband refused to say how he felt about the move, saying the family had decided not to speak to the media at all.
Last Monday, Cape Judge President John Hlophe sentenced her to 14 years behind bars for the kidnapping, four years of which were suspended.
Five years were imposed for fraud and an additional five years for the contravention of the Children’s Act.
However, since those sentences were ordered to run concurrently, her effective jail term amounted to 10 years - so far the harshest imposed in the Western Cape for a hospital kidnapping.
Judge Hlophe said the harm caused to the Nurse family was tremendous.
In terms of the law, the woman becomes eligible for parole after serving half her sentence - and even less if she gets time off for good behaviour, or if any general amnesties are granted during that period.