Village head mobilises against cops

Last week, police in Gokwe had to fire warning shots to disperse a crowd mobilized by a traditional leader trying to prevent the arrest of his wife and two other syndicate members illegally cultivating dagga (marijuana) along the Svisvi River banks in Kuruwa Village, under Chief Nemangwe.

Brian Kuruwa (36), Talkmore Muzondiwa (30), and Shylet Magigani (32), all from Kuruwa Village, were convicted of illegal cultivation and possession of dagga by a Gokwe magistrate. Kuruwa received a four-year prison sentence, with one year suspended for good behavior. Muzondiwa was sentenced to 24 months, with eight months suspended, while Magigani received a three-year sentence.

During the arrest, Muzondiwa's husband, village head Joseph Kuruwa (43), fled and mobilized villagers to resist the police. The police managed to control the situation by firing warning shots. Assistant Commissioner Martin Matambo, Officer Commanding Midlands Police (Operations), stated that 6,500 plants and 170kg of processed dagga were recovered.

Police received information about villagers cultivating dagga in the mountainous areas along the Svisvi River banks. They found Kuruwa watering his dagga plot, leading to his arrest and the uprooting of 67 plants. Further investigations led to the recovery of a sack of dried dagga at Muzondiwa's residence and three sacks of dagga from Magigani's homestead.