Police in Chipinge arrested 48-year-old Maria Mawacha after 118 dagga plants were found in her maize field.[1] Mawacha appeared before Chimanimani Magistrate Regis Mawarire on 29 October 2026 for plea recording and pleaded guilty.[1] Mawarire convicted her and sentenced her to 36 months’ imprisonment, suspending 18 months on condition of good behaviour.[1] The remaining 18 months were wholly suspended on condition she perform 580 hours of community service at Nyambeya Primary School.[1] Mutema told officers that the plants were linked to her husband Simon Sithole, who was away from home.[1] The two accused persons were arrested and appeared before Chipinge Magistrate Tariro Hove.[1] The state withdrew charges against Mutema after plea, while Sithole pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentence.[1]
On 27 October 2026 around 4 pm, officers from Cashel Valley Police Station received information that Mawacha was cultivating dagga in her maize field.[1] Mawacha voluntarily led officers to the field, where 118 plants ranging from 70 centimetres to two metres were discovered.[1] Officers asked her to produce a permit to cultivate dagga and arrested her when she had none.[1] Three officers travelling to Negwani Village in Chief Mutema passed through Nduku Village and found dagga plants in Mutema’s garden very close to her homestead.[1] Police found 213 plants about 1.4 metres tall in that garden and 26 plants in Sithole’s garden at Negwani.[1] The second Chipinge case was reported as involving 239 dagga plants.[1] A second account said a joint operation by the police and the National Anti-Corruption Association of Zimbabwe recovered 118 suspected dagga plants.[2] That operation took place on 27 October in Nyamashanga, Mushambi Village under Chief Mutambara.[2]
NACAZ members led by Thomas Ngirazi worked with officers from ZRP Cashel under Officer-in-Charge Inspector Ariberito Mbuwa.[2] Mawacha and the recovered plants were taken to ZRP Cashel for further procedures.[2] Police said the arrests are part of intensified efforts to curb drug and substance abuse by targeting suppliers of illegal intoxicating substances.[1] The second account identified the suspect as Maria Mawacha arrested for cultivating dagga, the local name for cannabis.[2]
