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Marvelous Moyo Gwanda Correspondent
A 31-YEAR-OLD Gwanda woman will perform 105 hours of community service for possessing 33 twists of dagga weighing 35 grammes. Thando Sibanda of Coleen Bawn pleaded guilty to possessing dagga when she appeared before magistrate Olivia Mashava Mashaire.

In November 2013, Sibanda was convicted of a similar offence and was sentenced to perform 105 hours community service.

In mitigation, Sibanda told the court that she was a sick widow struggling to make a living to look after her four children.

“Your Worship, I’m not feeling well and I’m not capable of doing other jobs to look after my children. Before, I used to do gold panning but now, I no longer have the strength to do so.

“I was forced to sell dagga to raise money to support my children. I’m sorry and I will never do it again,” she said.

The magistrate advised her to stay away from dagga and find something lawful to do to look after her children.

She was sentenced to six months imprisonment of which three months were suspended for three years on condition she does not commit a similar offence within that period.

The remaining three months were suspended on condition she performed 105 hours of community service at Coleen Bawn Police Station.

The State represented by Getrude Zvidzai told the court that on March 24 this year, Sibanda was found in possession of 33 twists of mbanje at her home after police had received a tip off.