Zimbabwean woman's drug case postponed in SA

Two women accused of entering South Africa carrying ingredients associated with drug manufacturing appeared in the Musina Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, Limpopo police said.

"The two women, Memory Maphosa, 39, from Zimbabwe, and Vuyiswa Mabasa, 23, from Lesotho, appeared... on a charge of the possession of drugs," Colonel Ronel Otto said.

The matter was postponed to February 3 for further investigation, and the women would remain in custody.

The two women were arrested at Beitbridge border post on Sunday night, as they entered the country from Zimbabwe.

Otto said they were carrying more than 18kg of a substance believed to be ephedrine.

The substance would be tested to determine exactly what it was.

Ephedrine is a controlled substance with a similar chemical structure to amphetamines, and is sometimes used to manufacture methamphetamine.

Police estimated the value of the substance at about R8 million.

"Investigations to determine where the women were coming from, and where they were heading to, are still being (carried out)," Otto said.