National
Graeme Smith's estranged wife, Morgan Deane, still in SA illegally─── 05:42 Wed, 11 Jan 2017
Cape Town - Morgan Deane, the estranged wife of former Proteas captain Graeme Smith, has been living illegally in South Africa since September 2015.
That was the same month they went their separate ways, Netwerk24 reported on Tuesday.
While Smith became a father for the third time on December 21, 2016, Deane, originally from Ireland, tried to stay in South Africa. Smith and his girlfriend Romy Lanfranchi had a son.
Smith and Deane married in Cape Town in August 2011 and had two children.
On Tuesday, Deane, a singer, confirmed she and Smith were still married. The divorce may be finalised in the Western Cape High Court in March.
She approached the court to get permission to take her children to Ireland so she could be closer to her family.
Enquiries about the divorce with Deane's attorney remained unanswered.
Since September 2015, Deane has stayed with her children in Claremont. On September 21, 2016, the Department of Home Affairs warned her to appear in court on September 26 on charges of violating the Immigration Act.
Case postponed
The department argues she is guilty of violating the section of the act which provides that any person who enters the country, lives here or leaves without the proper documentation, is in violation of the law.
Deane allegedly stayed in South Africa after her residency permit had expired on September 5, 2015.
If found guilty, Deane could face a fine or imprisonment. At her first court appearance, the case was postponed so she could appoint a lawyer.
She appeared in court for a second time on October 27 and a K Devlin represented her. The case was postponed after Deane submitted a representation to the senior public prosecutor to drop the charges.
On November 18, Devlin wasn’t present and the State was not in possession of the case file. On December 2, the State indicated the senior prosecutor had not yet made a decision.
Deane appointed a new lawyer and there was no objection to postponing the case again.
She would appear in court soon, where a response to her representations was expected.
-News24.com