A 21-YEAR-OLD Gwanda woman who concealed five twists of mbanje in the food she was going to give her husband in prison was yesterday ordered to perform 140 hours of community service.
PERPETUAL PHIRI
OWN CORRESPONDENT
Chiedza Ndlovu was convicted on her plea of guilty to possession of mbanje when she appeared before Gwanda magistrate Sheila Nazombe.
Ndlovu was sentenced to four months in prison, which were wholly suspended on condition that she performed 140 hours of community service at the Gwanda Magistrates’ Court starting on Monday next week.
Prosecutor Gertrude Zvidzai told the court that on April 19 2014 at around 10:25am, Ndlovu went to give food to her husband in prison. On arrival, Ndlovu was ordered to taste her food by prison officers who were on duty and she compiled. One of the prison officers then asked Ndlovu to give her the lunch box which had sadza inside.
Using the lid of the lunch box, the prison officer then sliced the food and in the process discovered five twists of mbanje concealed inside. Ndlovu was immediately arrested and handed over to the police. The five twists of mbanje weighed 10 grammes.
“I’m sorry your worship for committing this offence. It’s only that I had got a message from someone that my husband wants me to bring him mbanje at the prison,” he said.
Ndlovu pleaded with the magistrate to give her a lenient sentence as she had a one-year-old child to look after.
Nazombe told Ndlovu that what made her offence serious was that she wanted to supply her husband with mbanje in prison.
“It is fortunate that the prison officers realised this otherwise you would have managed to supply mbanje. I’m surprised you wouldn’t encourage your husband not to use mbanje, yet you should have used this opportunity to do so that by the time he comes out he will not be taking mbanje anymore because in prison he needs to be rehabilitated and reformed in order to change his ways,” Nazombe said.