Online Reporter
Alicia Kadzviti
Herald Reporter
A 43-year-old Hurungwe man has been sentenced to an effective 18 months in prison for unlawfully cultivating dagga.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe, on March 15, 2026, police received a tip-off that Lameck Chareka was growing dagga at his homestead.
Detectives followed up on the information and proceeded to his residence, where they discovered 10 dagga plants measuring about 1,8 metres in his garden.
The police uprooted and seized the plants, which were later weighed at 100 kilogrammes. The Karoi Magistrates’ Court convicted Chareka and sentenced him to two years’ imprisonment, with six months suspended for five years.
In a statement, the NPA warned against drug-related offences, saying illegal cultivation of dagga continues to fuel substance abuse and remains a threat to communities.
“Drugs continue to be a menace in our communities; the illegal cultivation of dagga must not be tolerated, as it perpetuates the drug problem bedevilling the nation,” read the statement
The authority urges members of the public to report such crimes as part of efforts to curb drug abuse in the country.
Peter Tanyanyiwa