A 41-YEAR-OLD Bulawayo woman has been sentenced to three
months in jail for possessing prohibited and harmful skin lightening products
in Victoria Falls.
Iris Khumalo of house number 56397 Old Lobengula pleaded
guilty to contravening the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act which
criminalises the sale of unregistered medicines when she appeared before
Victoria Falls magistrate Ms Lindiwe Maphosa.
The magistrate slapped her with a three-month jail term
before suspending one month for five years on condition of good behaviour.
The unregistered medicines which include Betasol crèam and
lotion, Lemonvate crèam, Epideme crèam, Bronze Tone, Perfect White crèam, Cocopulp
Lightning Oil and cream, Carolight crèam, Pure Skin Lotion, Bio Claire and
Diproson were forfeited to the State.
Prosecuting, Mrs Sithabile Daka-Mungombe said Khumalo, who
was arrested at a roadblock last week on Sunday, wanted to sell the banned
products.
“Police deployed at Masuwe roadblock stopped a vehicle that
was going towards Hwange and requested to search luggage. The driver had given
a lift to four passengers. Police found various kinds of unregistered medicines
in Khumalo’s bag,” said Mrs Daka-Mungombe.
Khumalo was arrested on the spot.
The skin lightening products are usually smuggled from
Zambia through the Victoria Falls border post and have a ready market in
various towns including Victoria Falls and Bulawayo.
Meanwhile, appearing before the same Victoria Falls court
for a different charge was a homeless teenager who was sentenced to an
effective four-month jail term for stealing six kilogrammes of sugar and a
phone.
Ayanda Moyo (19), of no fixed abode had been sentenced to a
combined seven months in prison for unlawful entry and theft before the
magistrate suspended three months from the total sentence.
Moyo broke into Mr Ernest Dube’s house in Chinotimba suburb
on Sunday at around 11AM.
Mr Dube had left the door unlocked. The phone was recovered
after Moyo’s arrest but the sugar valued at $570 was not recovered. Chronicle
0 comments:
Post a Comment