adminTinashe Hazvide
THREE teenagers from Hobhouse high-density suburb in Mutare were dragged before the courts facing charges of smoking mbanje.
Courage Piyo (20) of number 4063 Hobhouse phase 2, Trymore Jembere (20) of number 1029 Hobhouse phase 2, and Mandlenkosi Kerewa (18) of number 884 Hobhouse phase 2 appeared before Mutare Magistrate Mrs Sekai Chiundura pleading guilty to the charges of smoking mbanje.
The three were caught red-handed smoking mbanje by Sergeant Mupasiri of Zimbabwe Republic Police on September 4 around 12pm at house number 884 Hobhouse Phase 2.
The trio were convicted under the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act chapter 9.25 which prohibits smoking of dagga.
They admitted to the charges and in their defence said that they are hard manual labourers and were smoking mbanje before they start work so that they generate energy.
“We load sand into lorries, Your Worship, and smoke mbanje so that we have extra energy to do our job efficiently,” said Piyo.
Magistrate Chiundura said they should not smoke dagga because it was not good for their health and, as such, he was going to slap them with a sentence each to deter them from committing the same offence.
They were fined $20 each for possessing dagga and $50 each for smoking dagga or face 30 days imprisonment if they failed to pay the fines by September 30.
As they were first offenders, two months were wholly suspended on condition they did not commit the same offence in the next five years.
Online Reporter