Two Harare residents, Tamary Mutote (37) from Budiriro and Lilian Ngwarati (25) from Tynwald South, appeared before the Beitbridge Magistrates’ Court on charges of unlawful possession of unregistered medicine. The duo was found guilty of violating the Medicines and Allied Substance Control Act.
According to a report by the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe, police detectives in Beitbridge acted on a tip-off and arrested the pair at a bus stop on July 24, 2024. The accused were found in possession of five shrink-wrapped boxes containing 24 bottles each of unregistered Bron Cleer cough syrup. The total value of the seized medication was ZIG 88,000.
The court sentenced both Mutote and Ngwarati to a fine of USD 200 each, with an alternative of five months’ imprisonment in case of non-payment. Additionally, they received 19-month prison sentences, of which four months were suspended for three years on the condition of good behavior. The remaining 15 months were suspended on the condition that the two perform 425 hours of community service.
The unregistered medicine was forfeited to the state as authorities continue their crackdown on illegal substances across the country.
