Windhoek
One of the two women caught with Ephedrine three years ago informed the court yesterday she had the drugs with her because she was going to sell it for medication purposes in South Africa.
Zimbabwean national Pricilla Masa, 29, and South African citizen Sisa Heather Buthelezi, 41, are charged with dealing in potentially dangerous dependence-producing drugs. The alternative charge is possession of potentially dangerous dependence-producing drugs.
Another alternative charge of importing medicine without medicatory authorisation was withdrawn by the State at an earlier appearance of the accused.
The two have been in custody for three years while their matter drags on.
Masa informed the court that prior to being arrested on December 17, 2012 she was a street vendor selling fruit and traditional medicines in South Africa.
She testified that on December 12 2012 she went to buy medicine in India – “medicine that was rejected”. She added that she did not get a receipt for the purchase.
On December 16 she arrived in Namibia from India, via Kenya and Zambia, on her way to South Africa.
Masa said that since it was her first time in the country, she took a shuttle taxi from the airport to a guest house in Windhoek.
She added that she had told the driver that she had “powder”.
The taxi driver presumably informed the police about the “powder”, she said, because on December 17, 2012 she and her co-accused were arrested.
Masa said the substances were not tested immediately but the police “kept insisting it was cocaine”.
The trial continues. The accused were remanded in custody.
Magistrate Ingrid Unengu is presiding. Vetu Uanivi appears for the the two women.