Woman jailed for possessing weed

…fined for escaping from police

Munyaradzi Blessing Doma

ZIM NOW CORRESPONDENT

A 36-year-old Southlea Park woman, who was caught with 2.7 kilogrammes of mbanje at a police roadblock in Mazowe, has been jailed for one year.

And for the offence of escaping from police, the daring Fortune Muwadzi was slapped with a US$200 fine.

Concession Magistrate Tatenda Mukurunge-Doma, had initially slapped Muwadzi with 24 months’ imprisonment for the mbanje conviction, before suspending 12 months on condition that she is not convicted of a similar offence.

For escaping from police, Muwadzi was initially handed six months in jail, which was suspended on condition she pays the US$200 fine.

Muwadzi had also been arraigned to court on allegations of possessing cough syrups but the court found her not guilty and acquitted her on that charge.

It was proved that on March 30 at around 9am, four police officers were manning a roadblock, enforcing an operation at Nyamiti Bus Stop along the Mazowe-Jumbo Road.

It was proved one of the cops, Constable Matasva, then signalled to stop a vehicle in which Muwadzi was a passenger in the front seat.

The driver of the car, one Tapera Kabapiro, was told to pull over and he complied.

Sensing danger, Muwadzi then indicated that she had arrived at her destination and she disembarked, carrying her satchel as she proceeded to the boot of the car where she took her sack.

Two cops are said to have then started searching the car.

However, luck ran out for Muwadzi, as she was stopped just as she had walked a few metres from the car and the cops asked to search her.

She was then found in possession of four packs of mbanje.

Muwadzi was then arrested and taken to Mazowe Police Station where she fled, before being re-arrested.