HARARE – A shebeen owner operating from Harare’s Mbare high density suburb has been sentenced to two years imprisonment after being found guilty of selling liquor to minors during the 2023 festive period.
Phaeton Mutiyaya, 23, was handed the jail term by Harare magistrate Batanai Madzingira.
He was arrested after a video of drunk minors aged between 5 and 11 who were freely imbibing alcohol in the full glare of astounded members of the public in the Harare CBD on Christmas Day last year went viral on social media.
Mutiyaya was charged with selling liquor to minors, selling liquor without a licence and operating a shop without a licence.
The court heard he was operating a liquor shop in Mbare without a licence.
Prosecutors proved that Mutiyaya was the one who sold the liquor to the children despite knowing that they were all minors.
Mutiyaya was found guilty on all counts.
For the first count of operating without a licence, he was jailed 12 months.
Mutiyaya was sentenced to another year for selling liquor to minors.
The magistrate also sentenced him to an additional four months in prison for operating a shop without a licence, but the sentence was wholly suspended for three years on condition of good behaviour, leaving him to serve two years effective.
Janet Mlambo prosecuted.
