MBABANE – A 53-year-old woman from Hlobane, Nonhlanhla Nomgcibelo Shabangu, has been sentenced to E1,500 or one year imprisonment after pleading guilty to stealing items including disposable nappies worth E1,510.00 from the Mbabane Government Hospital.
Shabangu appeared before magistrate Chazile Thwala in the Mbabane Magistrates Court today, where she admitted to committing the offence out of desperation to support her struggling family.
According to court records, the theft occurred on or about October 27, 2025. The stolen items included disposable items valued at E110.00, clothing worth E500.00, wipes valued at E50.00, and a bag worth E250.00. Although the total does not add up to E1,510.00, this was the official figure recorded on the charge sheet.
Delivering judgment, Magistrate Chazile Thwala strongly condemned Shabangu’s actions, saying, “You are a very bad influence in the society. You are an old woman, how can you steal from the hospital? What are you teaching the kids?”
In her plea for leniency, Shabangu said she was driven by poverty and family hardship. “I was tempted to steal. I have three grandchildren and a child in hospital who delivered twins. I was really tempted, and it was my first time stealing. I’m not employed and I look after my grandchildren at home,” she told the court.
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