Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka-Chisepo
Court Correspondent
THE trial of four people charged with possession of 306,3 kilogrammes of dagga and 2 500 bottles of BronCleer cough syrup failed to commence for the third time as the defendants continually change their legal representatives.
The repeated postponements have frustrated the court, which has now rescheduled the matter to April 2.
The case, brought forward by the State, involves Faith Matekede (37), Nkosinkona Moyo, a cross-border transporter, Givemore Andrew Tsavayo (38), a transport broker, and Tafadzwa Mapika (20), a truck loader.
The quartet is facing charges of unlawful possession of dangerous drugs and possession of unregistered medicines.
Tsavayo and Mapika are cousins and stay together in Kuwadzana Extension, Harare. According to the State, on August 22, 2025, Matekede and Moyo conspired to transport 20 sacks of dagga and 50 boxes containing 2 500 bottles of BronCleer cough syrup from Moyo’s residence in Bulawayo to Matekede’s residence in Harare.
BronCleer, a prescription medication containing codeine, is unregistered in Zimbabwe and cannot be possessed without authorisation.
Matekede instructed Moyo to find a truck to transport the consignment. Moyo contacted Tsavayo, who was in Bulawayo with Mapika and another colleague, Paradzai Kamungeremu, searching for loads.
Being aware of the illicit nature of the cargo, Tsavayo excluded Kamungeremu from the deal.
Tsavayo and Mapika drove to Moyo’s residence, where they were shown the 20 sacks of dagga and 50 boxes wrapped in black plastic.
The two agreed to transport the consignment to Harare for a fee. They loaded the cargo into the truck and set off.
On their way, they picked up Kamungeremu at Munyoro Shopping Centre, Bulawayo, but did not disclose the nature of their load.
When they arrived in Harare, the group, wary of police roadblocks, decided not to deliver the consignment directly to Matekede’s residence.
Instead, they opted to park the truck at Tsavayo and Mapika’s residence in Kuwadzana Extension while Matekede arranged for another vehicle to transport the load to Southview, Harare.
Before the truck reached its destination, it was intercepted by the police, acting on a tip-off. A search of the truck revealed the concealed dagga and BronCleer bottles. The four suspects were arrested on the spot.
During questioning, Moyo implicated Matekede as the owner of the contraband, leading to all four being taken into custody.
The recovered dagga, weighing 306,3 kilogrammes, has an estimated street value of US$30 630.50, while the 2500 bottles of BronCleer cough syrup are valued at US$10 000.
The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) confirmed that BronCleer cough syrup is a prescription-only medication and is unregistered locally.
