Pretoria - Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Jeff Radebe has commended the South African prosecution team for ensuring that Shrien Dewani is extradited to the country.
"Our government is rallying behind our prosecution team and is encouraged by the team's resilience, despite numerous protracted and taxing legal processes that date back to January 2011,” the minister said in a statement.
This after the English High Court dismissed Dewani's appeal on Monday due to the fact that the High Court did not certify any questions of law.
Dewani is accused of orchestrating the murder of his wife, Anni, while on honeymoon in Cape Town in 2010.
Dewani has claimed the couple were kidnapped at gunpoint as they drove through Gugulethu. He was released unharmed.
He has been fighting removal from the United Kingdom until he has recovered from mental health problems, including severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
With this dismissal, his last legal avenue is an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights that is based in Strasbourg, France.
There his lawyers will have to argue before 47 judges of the member states of the Council of Europe.
The South African Department of Justice spokesperson, Mthunzi Mhaga, said Dewani has only 14 days in which to seek further relief, failing which, he has to be transferred from the United Kingdom to South Africa within 28 days of the expiration of the 14 days. - SAnews.gov.za
