Mbanje lands trio in court

THREE drug peddlers have been convicted after they were arrested on separate occasions for possessing dangerous drugs.

View Mandeya (40), Nomatter Mabvira (26) and Ennie Murahwa (40) were punished by the court after they were found guilty of dealing in mbanje and Broncleer.

The trio was convicted of possession of dangerous drugs when they appeared before Mutare provincial magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe.

Mandeya was initially jailed for six months after she pleaded guilty to possessing 200 grammes of mbanje before the magistrate set aside two months of her term.

The remaining four months were commuted to community service. She will perform 140 hours of unpaid work at Sacred Heart Primary School.

For the State, prosecutor Fletcher Karombe said on August 15, 2018 Mandeya of No. 327 Hobhouse was selling some refreshments at her market stall when detectives approached her.

The detectives introduced themselves and searched the stall and found 38 sachets of mbanje some of which was wrapped in a newspaper.

In the other case, Ennie Murahwa of No. 1869 Hobhouse, Mutare, was found in possession of five bottles of Broncleer and 14 sachets of mbanje in Penhalonga.

The court heard that on searchingd Murahwa police found a plastic bag containing 14 sachets of mbanje.

Murahwa was sentenced to 40 days imprisonment with the option of an $80 fine for possession of dagga and a fine of $20 or 10 days behind bars for possession of Broncleer.

In the third case, Mabvira of Nyamhuka Village in Nyanga was arrested after she was found with 102 grammes of mbanje at Muchena Business Centre and another 38 sachets at her homestead. Mabvira was sentenced to six months in prison, two of which were suspended for five years while the remaining four were commuted to 140 hours of community service at Nyanga Magistrates’ Courts.