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Cynthia Dube, Court Reporter
A BULAWAYO security guard who was arrested for possessing 6,5kg of dagga with an estimated street value of $6 500 has been jailed for 12 months.

Magistrate Mr Tinashe Tashaya convicted Tawanda Ncube (41) of Nkulumane suburb on his own plea of guilty.

Ncube was caught red-handed carrying the dagga which was wrapped in a newspaper inside a bag by police detectives in Tshabalala suburb.

“I was selling the dagga so as to get money to fend for my family. I also wanted the money to pay school fees for my three children. I’m asking the court to be lenient with me when passing sentence,” said Ncube.

But Mr Tashaya sentenced Ncube to an effective nine months in prison after conditionally suspending three months on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within five years.

“The use of dagga has ruined the lives of youths and teenagers in our society. Some teenagers are even dropping out of school because of dagga. People like you don’t deserve to be in our society. You will serve an effective nine months in jail,” he said.

Prosecuting Mr Best Hweta said on December 28, detectives stopped and searched Ncube along Rangemore drive in Tshabalala suburb.

He said the detectives recovered the dagga which the security guard was carrying.

“The accused person was interrogated and revealed that he had left some dagga at his residential place. The accused was taken to his place of residence where a house search was conducted leading to the recovery of some loose dagga in a wooden bucket in his bedroom,” said Mr Hweta.

“The recovered dagga was taken to CID drugs where it was weighed in the presence of the accused and had a mass of 6, 5 kg with a street value of $6 500.”

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