Bar owner fined ZWL$100k for defying Covid-19 lockdown regulations

Kwekwe (New Ziana)– A 40 year bottle store owner in Kwekwe has been slapped with a $100 000 fine by a Kwekwe magistrate after defying Covid-19 national lockdown regulations.

Daniel Mudzemeti, the owner of Poto Logistics and his employee Kudakwashe Moyo (40) both of Mbizo Section 7, pleaded guilty for contravening Section 4 (1)(c) as read with Section 4(60(a) of the Public Health (Covid-19 Prevention Containment and Treatment) (National Lockdown) Consolidation and Amendment Order, Statutory Instrument Number 200 of 2020 as amended by Public Health Covid-19 Prevention and Treatment (National Lockdown) (No. 2) (Amendment)Order (No.9) Statutory Instrument Number 10 of 2021.

Regional magistrate Florence Nago on Monday sentenced Daniel Mudzemeti to 10 months in jail or pay a $100 000 fine while Moyo was sentenced to five months in prison or pay a $50 000 fine.

In addition, the magistrate wholly suspended two months of the sentence on condition that they do not commit any offence involving defying lockdown regulations.

Magistrate Nago said the sentence served as a warning to would-be offenders not to commit a similar offence. The beer they were selling was forfeited to the State.

In passing sentence the magistrate noted that the accused persons defied government orders, thereby putting lives of the public at risk of the novel Coronavirus.

The third accused person Kelvin Mudzemeti (23) had his charges withdrawn by the State after plea due to lack of evidence to link him to the offence.

Public Prosecutor Yeukai Mugumba told the court that on January 30, Daniel Mudzemeti opened his bottle store at around 3pm and sold liquor to patrons.

Police swifly reacted and found Daniel, Kelvin Mudzemeti and Moyo fully operating their bottle store and selling beer to patrons while the national Covid-19 Level IV was in full force.

The trio was arrested and all the beer they were selling was seized by the police.
New Ziana