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Mashudu Mambo
A WOMAN from Makokoba suburb in Bulawayo has appeared in court after she was found with seven bottles of BronCleer Cough Syrup stashed inside a satchel.
Memory Sibanda (40) appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Themba Chimiso facing a charge of possession of unregistered medicines.
Despite pleading not guilty, she was convicted due to overwhelming evidence and remanded out of custody to Friday for sentencing.
The magistrate said the State proved its case, and the State witnesses, who are police officers, also had coherent statements.
“The police said that they found you with one bag, which contained your personal belongings and these were drugs.
“It is the court’s evidence that these two police officers did not know you and hence there was no need for them to make false allegations,” said Chimiso.
The court heard that on 27 September 2023, police from the Crime Prevention Unit, Bulawayo West offices received a tip-off that Sibanda had BronCleer Cough Syrup at a beer garden in Mzilikazi.
The police proceeded to the location and met up with Sibanda. They identified themselves and informed her about the purpose of their visit.
A search was conducted and the police recovered seven bottles of BronCleer Cough Syrup which contains codeine phosphate, diphenhydramine, ammonium chloride and sodium citrate which are unregistered medicines under the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe.
After the discovery, she was immediately arrested.
The government is fighting drug abuse in the country as citizens, especially youths, usually get addicted to the illegal cough syrup and some of them end up in mental institutions after the syrup messes up their minds.
The codeine in the cough syrup causes drowsiness, dry mouth, confusion, nausea, constipation, poor coordination, weakness, dizziness, and lowered blood pressure.
When taken too frequently or in high doses, these side effects are even more serious. The most serious side effect of codeine abuse is slowed or stopped breathing.
Without immediate treatment, a codeine overdose can lead to death. You are at an even higher risk of experiencing an overdose if you mix Broncleer with alcohol.
Online Reporter