Soldier caged 30 months over Mbanje deal

The Beitbridge Regional Magistrate Court sentenced a 35-year-old member of the Zimbabwe national Army (ZNA) to an effective 30 months in prison for smuggling into South Africa, through Beitbridge Border Post, 13kgs of marijuana (Mbanje).

Sikelela Ndlovu of Cowdray Park in Bulawayo who is deployed to Harare initially escaped from the scene upon being cornered by security manning the border post but was later arrested.

His co-accused Clifford Murungweni (21) of Beitbridge was acquitted following a full trial when they both appeared before Ms Charity Maphosa.

Ndlovu was left with a 30 months’ imprisonment term when 18 months of his 48 months’ sentence were conditionally set aside for five years.

The 13kg of Mbanje was also forfeited to the State as part of the sentence.

Prosecuting Miss Mercy Nyathi told the court that on March 10 at around 0010 hours, police officers who were on deployment at Old bridge illegal crossing point stopped Murungweni and Ndlovu.

The two were walking from Zimbabwe towards the South African border carrying two black suitcases.

She said upon being stopped, accused two dropped the suitcase and ran away leaving Murungweni with the suitcases.

The police officers searched the two suitcases and recovered 20 transparent packs of dagga, each pack contained four packets of dagga, totalling 80 packets of dagga altogether.

Murungweni was in turn arrested and taken to CID Drugs together with the recovered dagga for further management.

The court further heard that on the same day at around 0700hours, Ndlovu was lured to come back to Beitbridge by Murungweni’s sister at Beitbridge border post.

Ndlovu was arrested upon arrival at the border post.

The recovered Mbanje weighed 13,522 kilograms and worth US$1352,20 was seized by the police.