Woman smokes P500 in dagga puff

Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Tuesday March 18, 2014 12:51

 

Malebogo Balole was charged with unlawful possession of 0.8 grammes of dagga and smoking the substance last November. The police arrested her at her house in Bontleng after a tip-off. She was found smoking while a search discovered dagga in her handbag.

In her defence, Balole told the court that she smoked dagga as she suffers from terrible migraines and nose bleeding. She said that she heard her colleagues saying that dagga is the best remedy for her maladies.

Even though she knew it was a crime to smoke or possess dagga, Balole said she decided to use it as the tablets did not help her. Unfortunately, she was arrested on her first attempt to use the banned drug to treat herself.

She pleaded with the court to give her a lenient sentence as she is a single mother and the breadwinner in her family.

She said she takes care of her two children and sick mother. She pleaded with the court that she feared that she would lose her job if she is sent to jail.

Radipati ordered the court to destroy the dagga and handbag as it was used to carry the drug. She expressed her disappointment in the accused saying that the government is trying hard to fight and curb drug and alcohol abuse while she (Balole) is doing the opposite. She said that it was indeed a disappointment to see a beautiful woman – a mother engaged in drug abuse.

Radipati said Balole is a bad role model who would not be able to control or warn her children about the dangers of illegal drugs. She warned her never to repeat the offence as the country has very strict laws to punish drug offenders.