Fifty-six-year-old grandmother of Marapong village left Francistown Magistrate’s Court baffled this week after pleading guilty for possession of dagga she claimed was not hers though it was found in her house, two years ago.
The old woman, Norah Baathudi was found with a sachet of 39.9 grams of the green substance, at her home.
She however claimed that the drugs were not hers, “the dagga was not mine. It belonged to someone who l had given accommodation to for few days. I did not commit the crime intentionally.”
Baathudi admitted knowing that the person had the dagga, using and selling it too but kept her silence, hence she is pleading guilty.
“The person I gave accommodation is the one who was the owner of the dagga. But because I needed food and other essentials at the time. I was depending on him for feeding. It was not by purpose for me to break the law”, explained Baathudi, after pleading guilty.
She claimed that the person has since ran away and she don’t know his whereabouts.
Baathudi told Magistrate Thapelo Buang that she underwent an eye operation in 2020 and since then she has been having problem with her sight.
“I have not been well since my operation. I now have sight problem. Like you see I am assisted to move around. I can no longer walk alone; I need someone to hold me by the hand. This has left me unable to work”, explained Baathudi.
After hearing the grandmother’s case, Magistrate Buang told her to return to Court on February 27, for fact reading, mitigation and sentencing.
Attempts by Baathudi to plead for a date further on basis that she will not have transport money failed as the magistrate gave her an option to be remanded.
“Oh, if money for transport is a problem I can remand you in prison. There you are assured of transport and food,” suggested Magistrate Buang, to the decline of the old woman.
