BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
Seven Lupane villagers, including a 72-year-old accused of cultivating dagga/imbanje have received varying sentences extending up to 42 months.
The accused, all arrested last week, were found with the plantations or in possession of the dagga twists.
The first accused Kholwani Sibanda (39) of Makhandeni Village pleaded guilty to cultivating one plant measuring 1.72metres.
Busani Sibanda (41) also cultivated 26 plants measuring 1.3m to 2.3m while Sikoti Sibanda (72) of the same village cultivated 52 plants measuring 80cm to 1.90m.
The fourth accused Thembelani Sibanda (41) was raided and found with 68 plants measuring 1.3m to 3m while Cabangani Ngwenya also 41 years of age from Cabangani Shop, Luphaka Business Centre, was found in possession of five twists of dagga/ mbanje.
Bongani Msipha (48) from Luphaka Village was also found in possession of eight twists of dagga together with Nkosilamandla Ncube (35) who was found with six twists.
The background of the master is that on February 7 at around 5pm, the seven accused persons were arrested, during the ongoing operation “Say No to drug and substance abuse” for cultivating and possession of dagga .
According to police, the circumstances are that on the day six police officers including and two Criminal Investigation Department detectives from Lupane were deployed to do operations.
The team gathered information to the effect that some villagers at Makhandeni Village were cultivating dagga in their gardens along Ngandlwana stream.
Acting upon the information, the team proceeded to the village and located accused number one to four who then led the team to their gardens and discovered plants of dagga in their gardens and were arrested.
The team also proceeded to Luphaka Business Centre and searched accused number five’s house and recovered five twists of Dagga and was also arrested before proceeding to accused six and seven’s place of residence and conducted searches discovered eight and six twists of dagga from the accused persons respectively.
On February 9, all accused appeared at Lupane Magistrate court and were remanded to February 10 for sentence after they pleaded guilty to the offence except for accused seven.
Accused one, five and seven appeared before Lupane Magistrate Carren Jeferry and prosecuted by Clive Gumbo while accused two, three and four appeared before Lupane Magistrate Barbra Phiri and were prosecuted by Zandile Lauren Ndebele
Accused one was sentenced to pay fine of $40 000 or seven months imprisonment while accused five was sentenced to pay a fine of $30 000 or five months imprisonment.
Accused six was sentenced to pay a fine of $35 000 or seven months imprisonment.
Accused two was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment together with accused three who was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment while accused four received the stinger sentence of 42 months imprisonment.
Accused seven’s matter was opened for trial before magistrate Phiri.
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