By Takudziridzwa Nyama
Obvious Ngwenya, a 27-year-old man from Bulawayo, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for unlawfully dealing in dangerous drugs after he was caught with 19.01 kilograms of dagga.
Circumstances are that Ngwenya boarded a pirate taxi from Beitbridge to Bulawayo. He carried a suspicious parcel wrapped in a light blue comforter, which he paid the driver to transport separately. At the 129km peg along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road, the vehicle was stopped at a routine police roadblock.
The offender tried to block police officers from searching the vehicle’s boot and refused to identify his parcel.
However, after interviewing the driver and other passengers, police established that the parcel belonged to him. Inside the parcel, officers discovered 33 cobs of dagga hidden in black plastic bags.
The total weight of the seized dagga was confirmed at 19.01kg.
Drug abuse and illegal trafficking are destroying lives and communities across Zimbabwe and National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) of Zimbabwe has issued a stern warning to those involved in drug-related offenses, emphasizing the serious consequences of choosing the illicit drug trade over honest livelihoods.
“Cases like this highlight the serious consequences of choosing the drug trade over honest living. Let this be a warning to all: The law is watching, and the courts are taking a firm stance.”