By Tinaani Nyabereka
There was drama in Kuwara village, Chief Nemangwe in Gokwe South when a village head Joseph Kuwara sneaked away from home at midnight and mobilized villagers to fight the police after his wife had been apprehended by the police for being in possession of dangerous drugs.
The wife, Talkmore Kuzondiwa (30) was found in possession of a 50kg sack of dried dagga ready for sale leading to her arrest, a development which prompted Kuwara to sneak away from the police and mobilized the villagers to fight the law enforcement agents so that they can release his wife.
Asst. Comm. Martin Matambo (Operations) Midlands Province confirmed the development during a media briefing and said Kuzondiwa was arrested together with two others following a tip off which led to the recovery of 6 500 plants and 170kg of dried dagga.
The other two were identified as Shaylatte Magiga and and Brian Kuruwa (36).
He said the circumstances were that on the given day, police detectives received information to the effect that a drug syndicate in Kuruwa Village was cultivating mbanje along Svisvi river banks which is not easily accessible as it is mountainous.
At about 2200 hours on the same day, police officers, police intelligence personnel and support unit officers reacted to the information and found Kuruwa watering a plantation of dagga leading to his arrest and recovery of 66 plants of dagga were uprooted from his garden.
The officers proceeded to Kuzondiwa’s homestead where they recovered a full 50kg sack of loose dagga and she was arrested in her bedroom.
Shylatte Magigane was found at her place of residence and police recovered 3 by 40kg sacks of dagga placed in her bedroom which led to her arrest.
Allegations are that during the raids by the police, Muzondiwa’s husband, Kuwara, escaped from home and mobilized other residents to wake up in their numbers and fight back the police.
Police managed to overcome efforts of the villagers after firing warning shots and Kuwara is still at large.
Meanwhile, a Gokwe magistrate has since sentenced the trio to a combined nine years in prison. Kuruwa was sentenced to four years with labour while one year was suspended on conditions of good behavior. Kuzondiwa was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment with eight months suspended on conditions of good behavior and that she does not commit the same crime in the next five years.
