Chamba farmer fined K30,000

The Machinga second grade Magistrate court on Monday fined a 35 year-old man for cultivating Marijuana which is locally known as Chamba.

According to Machinga police spokesperson Davie Sulumba, the convict has been identified as Square Chiluwe.

Chiluwe was nabbed for cultivating Cannabis Sativa which is in conflict with Sections 6 and 19 of Dangerous Drugs Act.

Presenting facts in court, Machinga police state prosecutor Clif Kalawa told the court that on January 26 police received information that the farmer was growing Cannabis Sativa in his maize garden at Michongwe village, Traditional Authority Nkula in Machinga.

The police officers followed the tip and rushed to the garden where maize, pigeon peas, beans, pumpkins and Chamba were planted together on the same piece of land.

“Police officers uprooted hundreds of trees of Cannabis Sativa and managed to arrest the suspect,” he said.

Following the facts, Chiluwe was found guilty which made Kalawa to ask the court to impose a stiff punishment to the convict saying the crop leads to bad behaviour among users.

However during mitigation, the convict Chiluwe prayed for fair punishment for he is a breadwinner and that he planted the prohibited drugs for fishing.

Passing his judgment, Machinga second grade magistrate Maxwell Boazi asked government to sensitize communities about the illegal drug.

He then ordered Chiluwe to pay the sum of K30,000 or in default to spend 20 months in prison with hard labour.

Square Chiluwe comes from Umbwa Village, Traditional Authority Kuntumanji of Zomba district.

Growing, selling, possessing or using marijuana is a criminal offence in Malawi. However, marijuana is estimated to be the largest unofficial export in the country.