By BONGUMUSA SIMELANE | 2023-02-10

A 70-year-old woman surprised many when she was arrested for shoplifting in two shops in Pigg’s Peak.

Asiyena Gamedze from Mgazini under Chief Sicunusa was in the company of Nkululeko Hadzebe (32) from Hilltop, Mbabane, when they were arrested for shoplifting at Mashiphisa Wholesale and Tru Pep Stores.

Both shops are in Pigg’s Peak and the women are said to have hired a vehicle, which they used to store the items as they went about shoplifting.   

At Mashiphisa, they stole items valued at E3 077, which included 12 Protex bath soaps valued at E138, three 900 grammes NAN Number One Formula valued at E675, five Nespray powdered milk valued at E325 and four 1.5kg triple X sweets valued at E580, among other things.

The items are said to have been in the lawful possession of one Imran Muhammed.
The two did not end there as they also pounced at Tru Pep Store, which is less than 100 metres from Mashiphisa.

Escape
Asiyena is said to have stolen items valued at E529 among which were two student prince trousers and one pair of student prince male shoes.

On the other hand, Hadzebe is said to have stolen four 400 grammes Epimax baby cream valued at E400 in the same shop.

They were apprehended before they could escape in the getaway car they rented and the shop owners reported them to the police.
They appeared before Magistrate Nkosingiphile Maseko where they faced two charges of theft each.

They both pleaded guilty.  
During their appearance in court, their legal representative, when mitigating, requested the court to be lenient as they were law abiding citizens, who were forced by the high level of unemployment in committing the offences.

He pleaded that the accused had children who depended on them.  
He further requested the court to consider a suspended sentence considering that they were unemployed and forced by circumstances to commit crime.  

However, Magistrate Maseko said the high level of unemployment in the country did not allow anyone to commit crime.
Maseko said a crime is a crime and that justice should take its course whenever a crime was committed.  

He sentenced both women to two years in jail with an option to pay a fine of E2 000 on the first count.
On the second count, Asiyena was sentenced to six months in jail with an option to pay a E400 fine, while Hadzebe was sentenced to six months with an option to pay E300 fine.
They paid the fines. 

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