adminThe village head, Issau Moyo (66) and Bhekimpilo Sikuni (42) pleaded guilty to contravening Section 157 (1) (c) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9; 23, before provincial magistrate responsible for Matabeleland South province, Mr Douglas Zvenyika.
The court conditionally suspended 12 months of their sentences for five years.
They will now have to serve an effective one month in prison.
In arriving at the sentence, Mr Zvenyika said he had taken into account that they are elderly first offenders and that their “produce” had not got to the intended market.
Mr Alexander Moyo, for the State told the court that on 1 April, detectives from Gwanda received a tip-off that the pair was dealing in drugs.
On 12 April, the detectives raided the village head’s homestead and he led them to Sikuni’s homestead.
After thorough interrogation, the pair revealed that they had a plantation and led the detectives to the banks of Mtshabezi River where they found and uprooted 1 853 plants of mbanje that were between 2cm and 150cm tall.
The police also discovered a nursery where there were about 600 plants in a swampy area.
The mbanje plants’ street value could not be ascertained.
Online Reporter