Mbanje Smuggler Drives Into Dam Trying To Outrun Game Scouts

A 43-year-old man from Chitungwiza drove his vehicle into a small dam at Bubye Valley Conservancy in a bid to evade arrest for possessing five bales of mbanje.

Archwell Mutanga was recently jailed for an effective six years by the Beitbridge Regional Magistrates’ Court after he was caught in Beitbridge with 225kg of marijuana, with a street value of US$22,529.50.

Mutanga, who was arrested along with Brighton Mavusi, 27, and Shakemore Mugombe, 36, was convicted of unlawful dealing in dangerous drugs following a full trial before regional magistrate Charity Maphosa.

He will serve six years in prison after the magistrate conditionally suspended two years of the eight-year sentence for five years.

Prosecutor Olivia Chamutinya told the court that at around 2 pm on 26 March, Mutanga and his accomplices were travelling in a Toyota Hilux GD6 double cab when they arrived at the Bubye Valley Conservancy gate, which was manned by game scouts.

At the time, the vehicle was being driven by Mavusi, while Mutanga was in the front passenger seat and Mugombe was at the back.

The trio were given a pass to enter the conservancy by a game scout at the first gate.

The court heard that as the vehicle approached the second gate, one of the scouts at the first gate became suspicious after noticing it had no registration plates.

The scout alerted colleagues, and they gave chase, while also radioing ahead to those at the second gate to stop the vehicle.

At the second gate, the vehicle was stopped, and Mutanga got out and tried to negotiate passage with the scouts, without success.

When he realised they were being pursued, he switched seats with Mavusi and tried to flee but was later cornered.

He attempted to escape and drove into a small dam, where he was apprehended. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of five bales containing 63 cobs of mbanje in the load box.

Police were informed and arrested the trio and seized the mbanje, weighing 225.295 kilogrammes. The mbanje was forfeited to the state.

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