A-25-year-old Grade 12 pupil of Shantumbu Secondary School in Kafue District has been convicted and jailed to one-year suspended sentence by the Kabwe Magistrate court for drug trafficking.
Appearing before Resident Magistrate Liswaniso Wamundila was Jackson Mbeba facing one count of drug trafficking in Psychotropic Substances contrary to Section 15 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act No. 35 of 2021 as read with Statutory Instrument (SI) No. 119 of 1995 of the laws of Zambia.
Particulars of the offence were that, Mbeba on the 28th day of December, 2025 in Kabwe District did traffic in Psychotropic Substances namely 12 grams of marijuana, an herbal product of cannabis sativa without lawful authority.
When the matter came up for reading of facts and judgement before Magistrate Wamundila, Mbeba pleaded guilty to the offence and admitted the charge.
Brief facts before court were that on the 28th December 2025 Drug Enforcement Officers from Kabwe received information that the accused, now convict Mbeba, was dealing in illicit drugs in Kasavasa area within Kabwe District.
At around 02:00 hours a team of four Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) officers was formed and proceeded to the house of the accused and upon arrival the officers introduced themselves and explained the purpose of their visit.
Mbeba consented the officers searching his house which led to the discovery of one small sachet of suspected marijuana in his trousers which was hanged on the side of his bed.
The seized drugs were taken to the University Teaching Hospital at the Food and Drug Laboratory for analysis by the Public Analyst, who confirmed, the same to be cannabis with a potency of nine percent of Tetrahydrocannabinol which is above the limit of 0.3 percent with a total weight of 12 grams.
In passing judgement, Magistrate Wamundila noted that Mbeba did not waste the court’s time by admitting the charge and that he was a first-time offender who deserved maximum leniency from the court.
“I have put in consideration that you are a first-time offender and that you didn’t waste the court’s time, and that you are still a young man and in school who has a promising future if you reformed, however, considering the circumstances in which the case was committed and to help you reform and to deter other would-be offenders from committing similar offences, I find you guilty as charged and convict you accordingly” he said.
“Upon your own admission to the charge, I find you guilty as charged and sentence you to 12 months. Since you are still a pupil, doing your Grade 12, I have suspended the 12 months that I have imposed on you, effective from December 28, 2025 the date that you were arrested,” the magistrate Wamundila ordered.
In mitigation, Mbeba pleaded with the court to exercise maximum leniency stating that he was still a pupil whose education would be interrupted if he was jailed.
“ I am asking for forgiveness from you, am in Grade 12 at Shantumbu Secondary School. I started school in 2007, I ask for forgiveness, I will never repeat what I did, I have learnt a lesson from the time I was arrested,” Mbeba pleaded.
State Prosecutor Maureen Kausa from the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) made an application to have the seized drugs be destroyed in accordance with the law.
The convict has been given 14 days in which to appeal the case if he is not pleased with the verdict
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