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Mpumelelo Nyoni Court Reporter
AN HIV-positive man who was found with dagga with a street value of $304 has told a Bulawayo magistrate that a sangoma advised him to smoke the herb to cure himself from the virus.Bigboy Ndlovu, 48, of Emganwini suburb appeared in court yesterday facing possession of dangerous drugs charges, but defended himself saying he was told that it was good for his health.

Ndlovu was arrested after police, who were acting on a tip-off found 120 twists of the drug in his house last Saturday.  Loose dagga was also found in his oven.

Ndlovu yesterday told magistrate Willard Moyo that a sangoma told him that evil spirits were to blame for his HIV status and he could get rid of it by smoking the drug.

“Your worship, I was told by a sangoma that evil spirits were the reason for my status. She advised me to take the mbanje every day and I would eventually be cured of the disease,” said Ndlovu.

Quizzed by the magistrate as to why police found three twists of the drug in his home, Ndlovu said he was ordered to prepare it that way.

“Police never found the twists in my jacket. They in fact found me preparing the twists in my home. I was instructed to smoke two twists a day.”

Prosecuting, Mufaro Mageza told the court that after police raided Ndlovu’s house, they confiscated the dagga which weighed 304 grammes and its street value stood at $304.

“On July 19 at around 12PM police received a tip-off that Ndlovu had dagga in his house. When they got there, they searched him and found three twists of dagga in his jacket pocket,” said Mageza.

Magistrate Moyo fined Ndlovu $300.