Online Reporter
Dalyn Chigwizura, Court Reporter
A 23-year-old Bulawayo man has been sentenced to six months in prison for unlawful possession and cultivation of dagga without a license or permit.
Michael Silas from Gwabalanda suburb, on first count of possessing one sachet of dagga, was sentenced to 30 days imprisonment by Western Commonage magistrate Mr Archie Wochiwunga.
On count two of cultivating dagga, he was sentenced to nine months imprisonment of which 4 months has been suspended for five years on condition he does not within the same period commit any offence involving cultivation, use, dealing or possession of dangerous drugs.
He will serve an effective five months imprisonment, said Mr Wochiwunga.
Prosecutor, Ms Audrey Kufandikanwe, told the court that the incident occurred on May 16 2025, around 00.45AM when police officers from Luveve Police Station received a tip-off from the public.
On the first count, Ms Kufandikanwe stated that on the fateful date, police officers arrived at the accused person’s place of residence and found him sleeping in his cabin.
They introduced themselves and informed him of the purpose of their visit. The officers conducted a search of the accused person’s room and recovered one sachet of dagga from his wardrobe and one plant of dagga from on top of the wardrobe.
On the second count, at around 1AM on the same date, the accused person led police officers to his garden after being asked where he obtained the dagga from. He took them to the garden behind his cabin, where 126 dagga plants of various sizes were discovered.
The officers uprooted the plants, which measured between 30 centimeters and 100 centimeters in length.
He could not produce a license or permit for such an activity and the dagga plants were seized. The accused person was escorted to the police station for further interrogation.
The recovered dagga was taken to the Bulawayo Post Office for weighing in the presence of the accused person.
