adminSukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
A 53-YEAR-OLD habitual dagga peddler who confessed to engaging in the illegal activity for about eight years has been sentenced to nine months in prison. Timothy Moyo of Nyele Village in Bulilima told a court that selling dagga had helped him sustain his family.
Moyo, who was found in possession of over 100 twists of dagga at his homestead, said selling dagga was his only source of income.
He was last year convicted for the same offence and three months were set aside to guide his actions for the next five years.
In his previous conviction, he was sentenced to perform 150 hours of community service at Mzwanyana Primary School.
Plumtree magistrate, Livard Philemon, told Moyo that he was bringing into effect three months which were suspended last year.
He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and three months were suspended for five years on condition that he does not within the period commit an offence of the same nature.
Philemon advised Moyo to find a more respectable and legal way of fending for his family.
Moyo, who begged to be spared a jail sentence, told the court that he had tried to find an alternative way of sustaining his family following his first conviction but had failed.
“I tried to drop selling dagga Your Worship but I failed. Soon after my first conviction I started doing piece jobs for a short while but I realised that I was struggling to make ends meet.
“I have four children and a wife and I’m the sole breadwinner. I had to find a way to fend for my family. That is why I went back to selling dagga because I realised that it was the only way of getting cash fast,” he said.
Prosecuting, Clemence Shawarira said detectives recovered dagga hidden at Moyo’s homestead on Monday.
He said detectives received information from Moyo’s neighbours that he was selling dagga.
Shawarira said the detectives proceeded to Moyo’s homestead and asked to conduct a search.
Moyo alleged that he had stopped selling dagga.
The detectives insisted on searching his homestead and discovered a tin containing 30 twists and a 500ml bottle containing 82 twists. They were each wrapped in white newsprint paper.
The dagga has a street value of $42.
Online Reporter