Hayat, a student at University of Juba, was worried to be told she looked 35.

She is only 22.

Hayat put such faith in the woman who gave her the bad news, self-proclaimed beauty specialist Khadija, 36, that last December she paid SSP 2,000 for three injections and beauty products and she was assured would make her look more light-skin, youthful and prevent wrinkles.

It was a disaster. Hayat’s face swelled up painfully time and again over three months. She had suffered a severed facial nerve that may require surgery to repair, according to medics at Juba Teaching Hospital.

The trouble was that Khadija was not licensed by the state and was doing business illegally and not qualified to administer any prescription.

So yesterday the Juba Municipality Court shut down Khadija’s illicit medical and beauty shop practice and accused her of practising medicine without a license. ‘She operated with reckless disregard for people,’ said the court. The court alleged Hayat was ‘temporarily disfigured’.

‘All I know,’ said Hayat, ‘is that I am very upset. It was a bad experience.’

The court hearing will be next week.