admin
Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
THREE HIV-positive men who appeared in court for sneaking into the country from Botswana without travel documents made a request to the presiding magistrate to be supplied with antiretroviral drugs.Fiose Magusi, 30, Collin Moyo, 31, and Borokwe Showa, 30, who are all Zimbabweans, entered the country from Botswana through an undesignated point on May 15.
Plumtree magistrate Livard Philemon ordered them to pay a $20 fine or risk imprisonment for the crime.
The men said they did not have money to pay the fines, resulting in their application to be provided with ARVs while incarcerated so as not to compromise their health.
“I have a request your worship, where can I get ARVs in case I fail to pay the fine? I am HIV-positive and I should not default on my treatment.
“The prison clinic does not have any drugs at the present moment. How am I then going to be accessing ARVs from prison?” asked Magusi.
Showa and Moyo also made a similar request.
Philemon however dismissed their plea and told them that they were supposed to adhere to the sentence that had been issued.
“Now how does that concern me? What you can do is to pay the fine as that is what I have ordered you to do,” said the magistrate.
The three failed to pay the $20 fine and were sentenced to 20 days imprisonment.
Prosecuting, Medica Tshuma said Magusi, Moyo, and Showa, who are employed in Botswana, were intercepted by a police officer who was on patrol.
In their defence, the trio said they were desperate to visit an ill relative in the country but they did not have travel documents which forced them to use an undesignated entry point.
derick.khumalo