The Francistown Magistrates Court has convicted a Zimbabwean truck driver on a single count of dagga possession.
Chief Magistrate Thebeitsile Mulalu convicted Bothwell Mubvanyika after the accused pleaded guilty.
Mubvanyika, who is an employee of Seiph Electrical Services, was arrested on the 25th of March this year on his way from Nata towards Kazungula Border where he was stopped by the police at a road block at Ngwasha veterinary disease control gate.
Upon searching his truck police officers found three transparent packets containing green substances believed to be dagga in the truck’s cabinet. The substances, which were taken as exhibits, were sent to the Police Forensics Laboratory for examination.
The results confirmed the stuff to be dagga weighing 26.8 grams.
In mitigation, the accused pleaded with the court to be lenient when sentencing him as he is the breadwinner for his family.
“I am pleading with the court to grant me a lenient sentence because I am a first offender and I am also a breadwinner at home. At least I should be given strokes,” he said.
He added during mitigation that he has a 10-year-old daughter who is in hospital in South Africa and he is the one who is taking care of her.
For his part, Magistrate Mulalu said that he is satisfied that the accused understood all the facts in the case and pleaded guilty to the offence thereby saving court’s time.
“The accused is convicted as charged,” he said.
Sentence has been reserved for the 17th of April this year.
