adminMashudu Netsianda Senior Court Reporter
A Zimbabwean drug dealer was last week fined P2,500 or two-and-a-half months in jail for possession of dagga and illegally entering Botswana. Francistown magistrate Jennifer Chikate convicted Eric Tayi, 29, of Kezi of charges of contravening that country’s Immigration Act and possessing dagga.
Tayi was fined P2,000 or two months in prison for entering the neighbouring country illegally and P500 or 15 days in jail for possession of dagga.
The court heard that Tayi was caught in possession of 3,1 grammes of dagga with a street value of P100. He entered Botswana through an undesignated entry point near Ramokgwebana border post and stayed in Nata village where he eked out a living through selling marijuana.
Tayi ran out of luck last month when police raided him and discovered he had no travel and work documents. They also found marijuana in his pocket, the court heard. “Since last year, you continued with your hunt for piece jobs and making money. But you never bothered to go back to Zimbabwe and apply for a passport,” she said.
In January this year, a Zimbabwean woman, Memory Maphosa, was arrested at the Beitbridge Border Post together with Vuyiswa Mabasa of Lesotho while trying to smuggle drugs with an estimated value of R8 million into South Africa. The two were allegedly carrying 18kg of a substance believed to be ephedrine.
Ephedrine is a controlled substance with a similar chemical structure to amphetamines, and is sometimes used to manufacture methamphetamine (an extremely addictive stimulant drug).
Online Reporter