School pupils allegedly caught smoking cannabis

A number of boys and girls  learning at Donkwedonkwe Secondary School in Matobo area were reportedly found smoking cannabis close to the school a development which prompted the school authorities to report the matter to the police.

An MDC-T senior district member in Matobo who asked not to be named said the incident happened last week and it appears a Zanu PF councilor for ward 13 in Kezi Vincent Ndlovu was the one who was implicated in selling the drug to the school pupils.

"The pupils were found smoking cannabis close to the school and I am told that police were called to deal with the pupils," said the MDC-T official.

"The pupils were taken by the police and I am told the police only caned and released. I understand that one of the pupils a boy later told the police that the source of the drug was councilor Ndlovu and the police advised him (the boy) to call the councilor in the pretext that he was no longer having the stuff and he wanted it."

The MDC-T official said the boy called councilor Ndlovu in the presence of the police and told him exactly what the police had advised him to say.

"The councilor reportedly went to where the boy was with a satchel which had 40 twist of mbanje only to find the boy with the police officers," said the MDC-T official.

"It appears the matter was talked over and the children were canned but the councilor was let to go without being charged maybe it was because of the party which he belong to."

The official could not uncertain the number of pupils involved in the matter.

Councilor for ward 14 Sinikiwe Moyo  in the same area who shares the school area with councilor Ndlovu said he only heard of the issue but was not fully aware what really transpired

Contacted for comment Matabeleland South Acting police spokesperson Nkosilathi Sibanda said he had not yet received such a case.

"If the case was reported to the police we are yet to receive it here but if it was not reported we won't have it," he said.

He also said as of the police officers beating up pupils it was illegal and not allowed hence he cannot comment on that.