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EIGHT illegal veterinary medicine suppliers have been arrested under Mutare City’s Operation Restore Sanity, which was launched early this year to rid the town of illegal vendors, pirate taxis and unregistered kombi operators. The eight, who are also shop owners in the City of Mutare, have since been arraigned before the courts and fined upon conviction.
They were being charged for contravening Section 80 of the Medicines and Allied Substances Control (General) Regulations, as read with Section 106 of the regulations Chapter 15:03.
One of the offenders, Mutare Agro Chemicals’ Macdonald Mapfichana (47), was fined $100 by Mutare magistrate Ms Perseverance Makala, when he appeared before her last week.
In passing her sentence, Ms Makala advised him to acquire a valid permit that authorises him to sell veterinary medicines if he wished to stay out of jail.
Mr Fletcher Karombe represented the State.
Mapfichana was selling Tickbuster dip and spray, Flumethrin, Systamex Plus, Hi-tet 120, Belimycin eye wound powder, Radamycin eye wound powder, Valbazen and Tickbuster cattle spray.
All these are veterinary medicines.
He failed to produce a valid permit that authorises him to sell the veterinary medicines, which led to his arrest.
“Your Worship, I did not know that it was illegal to be distributing and selling veterinary medicines without a licence,” he said in his defence. “When I, however, came to know of it, I rushed to apply for the wanted document.
“I am still in the process, but do not have it yet. I now know that it is illegal and will make the necessary arrangements to get the licence.”
Ms Makala warned him that if he appeared before her again in the near future facing the same charge, he would earn himself an effective prison term without the option of a fine.
Online Reporter