Appearing before Magistrate John Phiri was Frank Matipa,66 of Mululuma Village in Chief Chikwanda’s area charged with one count of cultivating psychotropic substances, contrary to section 6 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Act Chapter 96 of the Laws of Zambia.
Particulars of the offence are that on 25 March 2017 in Mpika District of Muchinga Province, Frank Matipa did cultivate 85 Kilograms of Marijuana the herbal product of cannabis without authority.
Facts before the Court are that on the 24 March, 2017, the Drug Enforcement Commission received information that there was a male person in Mululuma Village who was cultivating suspected Marijuana in his field.
According to the statement of facts DEC officers searched the field where they found 85 kilograms of fresh vegetables of suspected cannabis which were uprooted and part of them sent for chemical analysis and confirmed to be cannabis plants.
In his ruling, Magistrate Phiri said upon Induna Matipa’s admitting to the charge, the court found him guilty as charged thereby convicting him accordingly.
In his mitigation, Induna Matipa pleaded with the court to exercise maximum leniency on him as he was too old to be jailed adding that he has learnt lesson from his old deeds.
He added that he has a field and if jailed his produce will perish. Magistrate Phiri took note of Induna Matipa’s mitigation but he said the offence deserved punishment to deter future offenders.
Magistrate Phiri further slapped Induna Matipa with a K3, 000 fines or in default serve 9 months imprisonment with hard labour.
Wow – so healthy plants! I expected them to pay, and not, fine him!
Ibange was sent to lab for investigation. Bwafya.
Wapya Munzi!
Heaven 🙂 That’s how my back yard will look like when Green Party win 2021 lol
Vote for Sinkamba next time ba Headman & your people.
Give it to Frank Bwalya. He needs it.
Why are chsrging him infact you pay him K3000.
Some are merely fined, and others are jailed for the same kind of offence….is it a case by case basis?
Cultivating is another issue, Drug dealing is on its own too.
@UPND CADRE from Ngombe Compound Lsk
Thanks, I didn’t know.
Ibange has been with African generations long before the Europeans invaded Africa and could not contain its effects as Africans could. Then in a bid to promote their cultivar tobacco and cigarettes for commercial exploits outlawed ibange which by the way had medicinal uses which are now being argued in the western world. The Netherlands may be the first to have assented to limited usage and put controls in place. Ask DEC or the so learned Zambian advocates what the ill effects of ibange are they will all parrot what the western world has advanced against it without giving home grown insights as to why eradication of its use among the citizens has remained a steep hill to climb! Those that know and have eaten kanunka yakusashila will find no difference in plucking the tender leaves of…
contd…. ibange boiling them a couple of times and rinsing before ukusashila for a magnificent relish! Please rather than rushing to arrest those growing ibange delve deeper into reasons why its cultivation continues to attract ‘investment’ and as Zambians you may score a first in breaking the jinx of wholesale condemnation of this weed!
Confusing report, is it Chief or induna?
Adds a new meaning to his highness kikikikikiki.
Ba Magistrate, you are stifling Entrepreneurship.
If it was me I would’ve been jailed corrupt judges. since the beginning of democracy no one who’s been jailed among the top leaders and minister but poor citizen like me it’s one day judgments
Legalise marijuana
K3000? 85Kg? Journalists wake up, go to records and see history of people fined more for less gramms. Others jailed many years for a ‘ball’ . What is K3000 fine for such a huge investment?