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A 29-year-old man from Lusaka’s Makeni Balmoral area has lost his chance to pursue vocational training after the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court sentenced him to one year in prison for trafficking marijuana.
Wana Musonda was convicted under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act No. 35 of 2021 after pleading guilty to trafficking 9.2 grams of marijuana, a herbal product of cannabis.
The offence contravenes Section 15(1)(2) of the Act, as read with Statutory Instrument No. 119 of 1995.
According to facts presented in court, Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) officers received a tip-off on March 30, 2025, alleging that Musonda was dealing in illegal drugs in Makeni Balmoral.
A team of officers, including an undercover agent, tracked him down and conducted a search, recovering four sachets of suspected marijuana from his pocket.
Laboratory analysis confirmed the substance was marijuana, with a THC content of 0.38 percent, exceeding the legal threshold of 0.3 percent.
Musonda admitted the charge in a warn-and-caution statement given in Nyanja, the language he best understood.
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Though a first-time offender, Musonda’s hopes for leniency were dashed.
His defence team cited remorse, cooperation with law enforcement, and a desire for rehabilitation, noting that he had already secured admission to Mpongwe Trades Training Institute for a construction course.
However, Senior Resident Magistrate Trevor Kasanda emphasized the seriousness of the offence, stating that it warranted the statutory minimum sentence.
“This is a serious offence that demands a minimum sentence of one year,” ruled Magistrate Kasanda, sentencing Musonda to 12 months with hard labour, effective from the date of his arrest.
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