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Mbanje convict vows to continue taking the drug

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BINGA — An unrepentant 67-year-old man from the Chishizha area in Binga who claimed he grew marijuana to cure his nose bleed and headache left the court in stitches last week when he said he would continue taking the illicit drug, but would just make sure he was not caught. Davison Sibanda said this before […]

BINGA — An unrepentant 67-year-old man from the Chishizha area in Binga who claimed he grew marijuana to cure his nose bleed and headache left the court in stitches last week when he said he would continue taking the illicit drug, but would just make sure he was not caught.

Davison Sibanda said this before being fined $100 or 12 months in prison for the offence.

He had been convicted on his own plea of guilty to cultivating and possession of mbanje when he appeared before Binga magistrate Stephen Ndlovu.

Sibanda was arrested following a tip-off from the public that he had cultivated mbanje plants at his home garden. Police raided the home on November 13 and discovered he had 13 plants of mbanje in his garden.

Sibanda was remanded in custody after he claimed he smoked dagga to stop a nose bleed and headache. His incarceration was meant to enable the State to establish if he really had a nose bleed and headache problem if he did not take the drug.

Sibanda had told the court in mitigation he had persistent headaches and nose bleeding until someone advised him to smoke mbanje and when he did, the problems ceased immediately.

On Thursday, Sibanda told the court he did not suffer any nose bleed or headache while in police cells where he did not take the drug, but claimed he had felt symptoms of nose bleeding because of not smoking mbanje for some days.

When asked how he would live without smoking since he claimed to be having a problem if he did not take the drug, Sibanda told the court he would try to smoke secretly to avoid getting caught.

Bruce Maphosa represented the State.