A VILLAGER in Kezi has been jailed 12 months for planting 20 mbanje plants.
BY SILAS NKALA
Future Moyo (33) pleaded guilty to the charge of growing mbanje when he appeared before Kezi magistrate Arafat Kozanai on Monday.
The magistrate convicted and sentenced him to 12 months in jail. Three months were suspended for five years of condition of good behaviour.
The 20 plants were forfeited to the State.
In sentencing him, the magistrate said what aggravated the offence was that the accused person was growing the dagga for sale. Prosecutor, Smart Tafireyi told the court that on January 8, police officers patrolling Makwati village in Kezi received a tip off that Moyo was cultivating dagga in his garden along Tshatshane River.
The police went to his homestead to enquire and Moyo led them to the garden, where dagga plants, with an average height of 1,9 metres, were discovered leading to his arrest.
The police officers arrested him and uprooted the plants.
