Zimpapers Logo

including a village head in Makhakavule, for allegedly cultivating the illicit plant along the Umzingwane River.
The crop – with an average height of 2 metres was found in several fields dotted along the river.
Detective Chief Inspector Robert Ndlovu, the officer-in-charge of the Criminal Investigations Department in the border town, yesterday said investigations were still on-going.
He said the duo was arrested in a pre-dawn raid by a team from the Dangerous Drugs Squad, the Dog Section and the Support Unit.
Det Chief Insp Ndlovu said more villagers could soon be arrested in connection with cultivating the illegal the drug.
He said they suspected it was being smuggled into South Africa.
“We carried out surveillance for two days and the results were positive.
“We dispatched a team on a pre-dawn raid this morning (yesterday).
“We found the whole village deserted with a lot of the plants having been uprooted.
“Further investigations then led to the village head, Saradebe Sibanda of Mabidi Village, and Mulweli Singo – who also had mbanje at his house – being arrested.
“We went to fields belonging to Shepherd Muleya and Khumbulani Dube, where 122 plants and 78 plants were recovered respectively from their gardens.
“We are yet to ascertain the value of the drugs and we are keen to interrogate a number of villagers as it appears the whole village is involved in this syndicate.
He said there were mbanje “nurseries” along the river and the total land size dedicated to the drug could be two hectares.
“We believe there are people involved here who we arrested a few years ago.
“This time they have moved their ‘gardens’ to a more secluded area in the village.”
He said the suspects would soon appear in court for contravening sections of the Dangerous Drugs Act.
In 2006, the police arrested 29 suspects – most of them women aged above 50 years – for cultivating mbanje on more than three hectares of land along the Umzingwane River.
Most of the suspects were convicted and sentenced to an average of three years behind bars each.