Hawks arrest two people in possession of 308kg of dagga in KZN

The Serious Organised Crime Unit of the Hawks in Port Shepstone, KwaZulu-Natal, arrested two people on the N2 freeway near Scottburgh on Wednesday after they were allegedly caught in possession of 77 bags of dagga.

Hawks media liaison Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo said the bags weighed 308kg and had an estimated street value of about R771,000.

Mhlongo said the Hawks received information about two vehicles “transporting a significant amount of dagga” from the Eastern Cape to KwaZulu-Natal.

He said an operation was “swiftly conducted” and it included the Flying Squad and K9 Unit. Both vehicles were spotted and intercepted. A search uncovered the 77 bags.

The two people, Nthando Ndoyokwe, 32, and Thando Mbele, 31, have been released on R3 000 bail each following an appearance in the Scottburgh Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.

Their case has been postponed to September 27, 2019.

Last year, the Constitutional Court ruled that the personal use of dagga was not a criminal offence.

Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo said at the time: “The right to privacy is not confined to a home or private dwelling. It will not be a criminal offence for an adult person to use or be in possession of cannabis in a private space.”

He added it should be left up to Parliament to decide on the quantity of cannabis that an adult person might use, possess or cultivate in order for it to amount to “personal use”.

If a police officer, on reasonable grounds, suspects that the person concerned is in possession of that cannabis for dealing and not for personal consumption, the officer may arrest the person.

The courts will ultimately decide whether the person was in possession of the cannabis with the intention of dealing or if it was for his or her own consumption.

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