Online Reporter
Mthokozisi Ncube
MAKOKOBA is fast earning a grim reputation as one of Bulawayo’s emerging drug-abuse hotspots.
Police operations in the high-density suburb have led to suspects being arrested for allegedly smoking dagga and possessing crystal meth in the past two days. The latest bust saw a 36-year-old Makokoba woman being arrested after detectives allegedly found her with five sachets of suspected crystal meth at her home. Bulawayo police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Thandekile Ndlovu, confirmed the arrest of Monalisa Sindisiwe Cheche, on September 5 at around 5am.
The arrest came just a day after 11 people, including former Soccer Star of the Year Joel Ngodzo, 36, was arrested in Makokoba in a separate drug operation.
The two operations have put the suburb firmly under the spotlight as police intensify their crackdown on drug abuse.
Sources told B-Metro that detectives from CID Drugs and Narcotics received information that Cheche was in possession of dangerous drugs at a house in Makokoba. Acting on the tip-off, detectives descended on the house and found Cheche in her bedroom.
They identified themselves and explained the purpose of their visit before conducting a search.
During the search, the detectives found five sachets containing suspected crystal meth.
“Five transparent sachets containing Crystal Methamphetamine were recovered in the pocket of the jacket which the accused was wearing,” said Asst-Insp Ndlovu. Cheche was asked to produce a licence or permit authorising her to possess the drugs, but failed to do so.
She was arrested and the drugs were seized. The recovered crystal meth weighed two grams and had an estimated street value of ZiG750.
However, the arrest was not an isolated incident. Just 24 hours earlier, police had descended on Makokoba as part of a separate operation targeting drug abuse, resulting in the arrest of 11 people, nine men and two women.
Among those arrested was Ngodzo, who was jointly charged with unlawfully smoking dagga.
The suspects were observed smoking dagga inside a barber shop along 7th Street during surveillance by CID Drugs and Narcotics detectives on September 4. All 11 eventually pleaded guilty and were fined amounts ranging from US$200 to US$300.
One of the accused, Aaron Phiri, even left the courtroom in stitches as he explained why he smoked dagga.
“Dagga makes me run, I feel better and can have a peaceful sleep at night,” he said. Bulawayo Magistrate, Themba Chimiso, delivered a stern warning, declaring that Zimbabwe was in a “war against drugs”.
