A 20-year-old woman from Ezulwini told the Mbabane Magistrates Court that she stole a television set to raise money to seek medical treatment after being diagnosed with cancer.
Sibahle Mkhatshwa appeared before Magistrate Sifiso Vilakati for theft.
According to the charge sheet, on January 19 at Nyonyane, Mkhatshwa unlawfully and intentionally stole a black 40-inch television set valued at E4 000. The property was in the lawful possession of Themba Mkhatshwa.
When advised of her right to legal representation, she elected to conduct her own defence and pleaded guilty.
When questioned by Magistrate Vilakati why she committed the offence, she said she wanted to sell the television to raise money to go to hospital for medical treatment.
“I was once diagnosed with cancer and wanted to use the money for my treatment,” she said, adding that the television belonged to her uncle.
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Her mother supported her testimony, telling the court that her daughter had undergone surgery for breast cancer in 2022 while she was still in Form IV. “She often cries and says she experiences severe pain in her breasts, Your Worship,” her mother said.
In mitigation, Sibahle apologised to the court for her actions and vowed that she would not commit a similar offence. She pleaded for leniency, stating that she was desperate and had acted out of fear for her health.
When passing sentence, the court said it had considered the fact that the accused pleaded guilty, but stressed that it did not condone her actions.
“The court has also taken into account that you committed the offence in an attempt to cater for your medical condition and that the television was recovered,” the court noted. Mkhatshwa was sentenced to one year imprisonment with an option of E1 000 fine.
However, half of the sentence was wholly suspended for six months on condition that she is not convicted of a similar offence during this period.
