HARARE, Zimbabwe — A Mbare magistrate jailed 26-year-old Fortune Tendai Kasina for two years after he admitted to baking and selling cannabis-laced cookies to schoolchildren in Highfields.
The court convicted Kasina on charges of illegally dealing in dangerous drugs.
The Court heard that he baked the cookies and distributed them in the community, where pupils bought and consumed them.
Police opened the case on August 21 after an officer at Machipisa Police Station received a tip that students at First Choice College appeared intoxicated.
Officers rushed to the school, arrived on scene, interviewed students and traced the source to 20-year-old Leenkan Zvikomborero Muzanechita.
Muzanechita implicated Kasina as the baker and supplier.
Detectives searched the suspects and recovered 20 prepared cannabis cookies, a sachet of soda, baking powder and a plastic bag containing an unidentified powder, police said.
Kasina pleaded guilty. The magistrate imposed a three-year term, suspended one year on conditions, and ordered him to serve an effective two years behind bars.
Muzanechita denied the allegations and remains in remand prison awaiting trial.
The court said drug pushers who target children endanger health and learning and vowed firm penalties.
The presiding magistrate warned that drug offences have become a growing menace in communities and said offenders will face the full force of the law.
Parents and teachers at First Choice College expressed concern following the incident.
School authorities urged parents and guardians to speak with children about the risks of illicit substances.
Zimbabwe has reported rising concerns over drugs sold in and around schools, including marijuana-laced snacks.
Police say they will continue raids and community outreach in hotspots such as Highfields and Mbare.
