A 30-year-old woman who sold drugs to schoolchildren at the gate of Inyathi Mission High School has been convicted and sentenced to an effective six months in prison. Buhlebenkosi Hlabangana pleaded guilty on Monday before Inyathi resident magistrate Challenge Mahembe to unlawful possession or use of dangerous drugs, as defined in Section 157(1)(a) of the […]
A 30-year-old woman who sold drugs to schoolchildren at the gate of Inyathi Mission High School has been convicted and sentenced to an effective six months in prison.
Buhlebenkosi Hlabangana pleaded guilty on Monday before Inyathi resident magistrate Challenge Mahembe to unlawful possession or use of dangerous drugs, as defined in Section 157(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23.
Mahembe sentenced her to 10 months in prison, with four months suspended for five years on condition she does not commit any offence involving the possession, use, consumption, dealing in, manufacture or cultivation of dangerous drugs.
In passing sentence, Mahembe said Hlabangana had endangered the lives of schoolchildren by selling drugs at the school gate.
“You exposed innocent children to dagga. Doing so had the potential of ruining their lives and causing them to fail in the pursuit of their education,” he said.
“You are a dangerous person as you had the guts to sell drugs at the school gate, and no one knows how many schoolchildren have been buying drugs from you and had their bright futures ruined…
“You will have to be jailed so that it sends a strong message to like-minded people that courts, as the guardians of families, frown upon the peddling of drugs and substance abuse.”
In mitigation, Hlabangana apologised for the offence, saying severe hardship and a dire financial situation had pushed her into selling drugs to survive.
She told the court she is the sole breadwinner and looks after two children.
In aggravation, prosecutor Happiness Nleya said selling drugs at a school was a highly aggravating factor.
“The offender peddled drugs at the school gate, which showed that her customers were largely schoolchildren, thereby exposing the students to drugs,” he said.
“As a guardian, she was not supposed to sell drugs and her behaviour was highly irresponsible.
“She committed a serious crime, and the State prays for a custodial sentence to send a message to would-be offenders.”
Nleya told the court that police officers were on patrol when they received a tip-off that Hlabangana was selling drugs alongside other goods at Inyathi Mission.
He said officers went to the school, searched her and found dagga wrapped in a plastic bag hidden inside a bucket.
The drug was recovered and weighed, coming in at 80 grammes. It was then recorded on the seizure exhibit form.
More: Chronicle
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