A HARARE man, Stanford Magwaza, yesterday escaped a jail term, but was slapped with 140 hours of community service after being convicted of possessing 30 bottles of Broncleer.
BY SILENCE CHARUMBIRA
Magwaza was initially sentenced to six months in prison by magistrate Tendai Mahwe, but the court suspended two months on condition that he would not, within a five-year period, be convicted of an offence involving unregistered medicines.
The remaining four months were suspended on condition that he performs 140 hours of community service at Chipembere Primary School.
Mahwe said deterrent sentences were called for in cases of drug abuse as they were on the increase. He, however, said it was the court’s policy to pass lighter sentences to first offenders.
Meanwhile, Mahwe also fined Tatenda Chikero (22) and Jonathan Kamonera (21) $5 each for being found in possession of a stub of dagga.
Both pleaded guilty and Mahwe said the court had been lenient in sentencing them since the drugs were for their personal consumption.
In a related drug matter, Mahwe left the gallery in stitches when he asked a 17-year-old taxi driver, Bob Landa, why he was in the habit of smoking dagga, to which the juvenile responded he would not repeat such kind of behaviour.
