A BULILIMA man will spend the next six months in prison for offering a $20 bribe to a cop in a bid to evade arrest for possessing dagga.
The man’s jailing coincided with his wife’s sentencing to perform 210 hours of community service for assaulting two neighbours.
Power Ncube (41) and his wife Evelyn Tshuma (23) both of Ntunungwe area appeared separately before Plumtree magistrate Mr Livard Philemon.
Ncube was convicted on his own plea of guilty to bribery and unlawful possession of dangerous drugs while Tshuma was convicted on her own plea of guilty to assault.
Mr Philemon sentenced Ncube to nine months imprisonment and three months were suspended on condition that he does not commit a similar offence in the next five years.
Prosecuting, Mr Elisha Mazorodze said Ncube tried to bribe Constable Shindi who wanted to arrest him after he was found in possession of dagga on 5 September at around 4PM.
“Police received a tip off that Ncube was in possession of mbanje. They searched his homestead and found 23 twists of dagga hidden in a plastic container. Ncube then offered $20 to Constable Shindi as a gift in order to be released. The police officer refused to take the money resulting in Ncube’s arrest,” said Mazorodze.
Ncube’s wife was sentenced to nine months imprisonment and three months were suspended on condition that she does not commit a similar offence within the next five years. The remaining six months were suspended on condition that she performs 210 hours of community service at Ntunungwe Primary School.
Mr Mazorodze said Tshuma assaulted her two neighbours Ms Emelia Hlabangani and Ms Tracy Mkandla for spreading rumours that she was HIV positive.
“On 4 September at around 5PM Ms Hlabangani and Ms Mkandla went to visit Tshuma at her homestead. Tshuma questioned her two neighbours on why they were spreading rumours that she was HIV positive while they were sitting in her kitchen hut. A misunderstanding ensued between the three women. Tshuma locked the door and retrieved a sjambok which she used to whip her two neighbours. They were rescued by neighbours who heard them scream for help,” said Mr Mazorodze.
He said the matter was reported to the police resulting in Tshuma’s arrest.
In her mitigation Tshuma told the court that she had four minor children. She said her husband had already been sent to jail and her children would be left stranded if she was also jailed.
