By Delisa Thwala
Petunia Thandeka Gama, 27 years of age from of Ka Ncesi area under Chief Mathutha has been fined E 20 000 or spend 20 years in prison for possession of dagga.
The accused person was charged with the offense of contravening section 12 (2) (4) as read with section 12(1) (c) (i) of the pharmacy act number no.38/1929 as amended.
In that on (or upon) May 28, 2024, at ka Ncesi in the Hhohho region the said accused person not being a holder of a valid license or permit to possess dagga did wrongfully and unlawfully possess 12. 14 Kg of dagga, a poisonous or harmful substance and thus contravened the said act.
In the second count, the accused person was further charged with the offense of contravening section 7 as read with section 8(1) of the opium and habit-forming drug Act number 37 of 1922 as amended.
In that on May 28, 2024, at ka Ncesi area in the said region of Hhohho, the said accused person not being a holder of a valid license or permit to possess dagga seeds did wrongfully and unlawfully possess 11. 7 kilograms of dagga seeds and thus contravened the said act.
When mitigating she pleaded with the court to be lenient as she has a 10-year-old daughter doing grade 4. For count one she was fined E 15 000 and E 5000 for her second count.
A robber on nine counts of robbery and theft was remanded back into custody. In the first count, the accused was charged with the offense of robbery with intent to steal.
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That on March 28, 2024, at or near the Msunduza area in the Hhohho Region, the said accused person did wrongfully, unlawfully, and intentionally escaped from the lawful custody of 3796 Sergent Benjamin Magagula after being arrested for the offense of robbery and thus contravened the said Act.
On the second count, the said accused person is charged with the offense of Contravening section 43 (1) of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act no.67/1938 as Amended. He stole items with a total value of over E 38,600 stolen items.
Meanwhile the accused on March 28, 2024, at the Msunduza area in the Hhohho Region, the said accused person did wrongfully, unlawfully, and with intent to induce submission to the taking of items valued at E3,800.00.
He induced fear in Bhekinkhosi Sanele Mavimbela with a bush knife that unless he consented to the taking and refrained from offering any resistance did rob him of the under-listed items valued at E3,800.00 the property of or in the lawful possession of Mavimbela and did rob him of the same.
In the same court Magistrate Innocent Motsa issued an order to have three men accused of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) be taken back in custody until next week Friday.
Motsa told Sipho Magagula (25), Xolani Dlamini (25), and Zwelo Gama (27) all from Ekupheleni, Motshane that he wanted them to come to their senses before they were admitted bailing. The accused persons are faced with two counts.
When appearing before Magistrate Motsa, their rights to legal representation were explained to them by the Crown and they elected to conduct their defense.
In count one, the accused persons are alleged to have intentionally assaulted Ntokozo Msibi with a bush knife, slasher, and sticks several times all over his body.
They allegedly committed the offense on March 9, 2024, at or near Ekupheleni.
On the same day, it is alleged that the accused persons went on to assault Qolani Dlamini with a bush knife, slasher, and sticks, several times all over his body.
The accused persons tried to plead with the magistrate to admit bailing, but it was opposed by the magistrate.
The Crown had first remanded the accused persons back to custody until June 7, 2024, pending trial on August 8, 2024.
Motsa said: “You cannot assault someone with these dangerous weapons and expect to be easily admitted bailing.
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It does not work like that. I want you to be kept for a week in custody before you make any bail application,” Motsa said.
The accused persons were left dejected after the magistrate’s decision. They were seen shaking their heads as they moved out of the dock.
A 20-year-old young man was arrested after assaulting a neighbor over his missing teenage sister. Joshua Zulu of Nkhaba appeared before the magistrate court, where he pleaded guilty.
The accused was said to have assaulted Siphokazi Mbethe (20) of Mhlosheni on May 9, 2024.
On the day of the incident, Zulu is said to have visited his neighbors two times in search of his 14-year-old sister, who had not spent the night at home.
According to Mbethe, it was on the second visit that the accused stormed into their house with a sjambok and first hit her mother once in the back.
She said Zulu then went on to hit her three times with the sjambok as well, and once with a broom.
She said Zulu also attempted to use firewood on them but was stopped by community police, who had accompanied him this time around.
It was further revealed that the accused was also in the company of his father and younger brother.
In defense, Zulu explained that he was angry at the family for making a fool out of him.
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Zulu said he had seen shoes belonging to his sister at the doorstep the first time he came looking for his sister. He said the family had told him his sister had not set foot in their household.
Mbethe admitted that the teenager had been to their household that morning but explained that she had been away at the time.
“I was told by my younger sister that Zulu’s sister did come to our house and that she had asked her to cover for her,” said Mother.
She alleged that the teenager had spent many other nights outside of the home, and in this case Zulu blamed Mbethe.
Zulu was sentenced to eight months imprisonment or an E700 fine option.
