‎By Terence Tikiti

‎IT is obvious that the Government is determined in its fight against drugs and substance abuse because the threat they present to society. But this stance was lost on Obvious Ngwenya (27), of Emakhandeni, Bulawayo, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for unlawful dealing in dagga, when he appeared at the Gwanda Provincial Magistrates’ Court.

‎Ngwenya appeared before Magistrate Progress Murandu, charged with contravening Section 156(1) (a) or alternatively Section 157(1) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 09:23.

‎According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), represented by Shepherd Moyo, Ngwenya was arrested on May 20, 2025, after a police search at a road-block along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge road.

‎Ngwenya had hired a pirate taxi driver, Getmore Mpofu, to transport him and a parcel from Beitbridge to Bulawayo. When the vehicle was stopped at the road-block, Ngwenya attempted to block police officers from handling the parcel.

‎Upon searching the parcel, police found 33 cobs of dagga, weighing 19.01 kg, wrapped in black plastic bags and concealed in two 50kg sacks.

‎Ngwenya was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Magistrate Murandu stressed that unlawful drug dealing poses a significant threat to society, and the sentence reflected the courts’ commitment to combating the scourge.

‎”This sentence serves as a deterrent to would-be offenders,” Magistrate Murandu declared.

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