adminMarvelous Moyo Gwanda Correspondent
A CHEEKY Gwanda woman has been arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle five twists of mbanje into Gwanda Prison where her husband is incarcerated.
Chiedza Ndlovu of Spitzkop suburb, allegedly stuffed the mbanje in isitshwala she had brought for her husband, Brian Mlilo on Saturday. Her husband is serving a sentence at the prison.
Sources who were present when the drama unfolded told Chronicle that Ndlovu had visited her husband around 9AM on Saturday on the pretext that she had brought him some food.
Mlilo was recently convicted of stealing gold ore from Jilongwe Mine and is serving his sentence at Gwanda Prison.
“She came by the prison gate carrying a lunch tin containing isitshwala with beef and vegetables which she had brought for her husband. She then approached prison officers who were on duty and indicated who she had visited.
“As is the norm, the prison officers asked her to open the lunch tin and taste the food and she complied,” said the source.
However, the alert prison officers became suspicious when Ndlovu refused to have anyone close to her other than her husband and was heard whispering, said the sources.
Ndlovu’s strange and violent behaviour is said to have attracted the attention of prison officers who then decided to do a thorough check of the food.
Prison officers discovered twists of mbanje hidden in isitshwala before Mlilo had had access to the food.
“The suspicious prison officers ordered Ndlovu to bring the lunch tin and they used a plate to check if there was something else in the food. In the search, they discovered five twists of dagga which were wrapped in a plastic and stuffed into isitshwala.
“She was questioned about the plastic found in the isitshwala but professed ignorance about it claiming to have not prepared the food but that she had been given the food by her husband’s friend,” said another source.
Efforts by Ndlovu to evade arrest were unsuccessful as the prison officers quickly notified their superiors who then reported the matter to the police leading to her arrest.
Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson Inspector Philisani Ndebele yesterday confirmed the incident saying that Ndlovu would appear in court facing a charge of possessing mbanje.
Online Reporter