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Patrick Chitumba .
A GOKWE magistrate has applied to the High Court to have her jurisdiction extended for the purposes of sentencing a 59-year-old woman she convicted of being found in possession of 20kg of dagga.
Magistrate Sithabile Zungula at the Gokwe magistrate court convicted Susan Dube on September 21 of possessing the dagga without a permit on her own plea of guilty.
However, the magistrate could not sentence her because her jurisdiction doesna��t allow her to pass a sentence exceeding two years or a fine exceeding $200.
Because of the huge quantities involved she remanded Dube in custody while waiting for the response from the High Court.
a�?The accused person was arraigned before me on 21 September 2016 facing a charge of unlawful possession of dagga.
I recorded the plea but after I had carefully observed the fact that the dagga involved here weighs 20,54kg, this court is of the view that the sentence to be imposed may exceed the Jurisdiction of this court which is two years,a�? Zungula wrote to the High Court.
Prosecuting, Maxwell Tapfira told the court that on September 18, police received a tip off to the effect that Dube had dagga at her homestead.
a�?Acting on the information, the police went and searched her homestead and discovered the dagga which weighed 20,54kgs with a street value of $2 054. She was asked to produce a permit allowing her to possess dagga which she failed to produce,a�? said Tapfira.
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