Last Friday, January 12, a Zimbabwean foreign national was arrested for possession of large quantities of cough syrup, at her home on Pearl Street in Laudium.
Suzan Sibiya was apprehended by metro police who seized her cellphones, R14 700 in cash and the stock of Broncleer cough syrup that was found in her house.
Speaking to Suzan, the Laudium Sun team discovered that the cough syrup saga was a very complex one.
According to Suzan, she had been purchasing large quantities of Broncleer and one other cough syrup from a tuck shop on Primrose Street, where a certain woman by the name of Waseemah Cassim dealt with her. Suzan insisted that she was buying the cough mixture to send back to her village in Zimbabwe, as there was no pharmacy there and there was a shortage of medicine. Suzan continued that on that fateful night, while at home, she received a phone call from Waseemah first, enquiring as to whether she required more stock of the syrup. After having declined the offer, because she had enough stock to take back to her village, Suzan said she received a second phone call from Waseemah's brother-in-law, known as Speedy, asking the very same question, about whether she required more cough mixture. Suzan claimed that she again declined the offer. The Zimbabwean national continued that not long thereafter, and to her utter shock, she found her home surrounded by Metro Police. They requested permission to enter and search her home, only to find the stock of cough syrup, cash and cellphones, all of which they seized. Suzan was then taken into custody and upon being questioned, she indicated that her village back home did not have a pharmacy so she had purchased cough syrup from Waseemah with the intention of taking it back home. When the police voiced their suspicion to Suzan, that she was a dealer, she denied this. She was remanded in the Atteridgeville cells, overnight, but was granted bail of R500 the next day (Saturday, January 13).
Suzan is to appear at the Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court today (Friday, January 19). Suzan concluded to the Laudium Sun that she had borrowed R14 700 with the intention of using it to go back to Zimbabwe, with the Broncleer. She seemed very worried about how she was going to be able to pay back such a large amount of money. Waseemah refused to comment.
Zimbabwean national, Suzan Sibiya was arrested for possession of large quantities of Broncleer cough syrup.
Waseemah Cassim, accused of supplying cough medicine to Suzan Sibiya. (Cellphone image).