Times Of Swaziland: ‘WE FEAR ARREST IF WE SPEAK ABOUT DAGGA’

‘WE FEAR ARREST IF WE SPEAK ABOUT DAGGA’
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BY JOSEPH ZULU  on 09/10/2019 00:53:00


NDZINGENI – “How can they contribute positively to the legalisation of dagga
debate knowing that they will be exposing themselves to the police?”
This is the question which was posed during a residents’ meeting at Ndzingeni
yesterday. Residents there want some form of amnesty from prosecution, so that
they can openly add their voices to the ongoing debate on dagga legalisation in
the country.
Dagga is currently a controlled substance in Eswatini under two laws namely the
Opium and Habit-
Forming Drugs Act No. 37 of 1922, as well as the Pharmacy Act of 1927. Amnesty
from arrest will mean that dagga growers can openly contribute to discussions
regarding the illegal herb without fear of being arrested.
Since the beginning of the legalisation debate of dagga, growers have been
divided with some saying it would affect their profits while others claiming
that would not be the case.
Magiyane Dlamini, one of the residents of Ndzingeni, had expressed concern that
some constituencies were being left out of the debate.
Ndzingeni is one of the prime areas for dagga cultivation due to the
availability of water yet it is inaccessible due to police officers.
targeted
Some of the residents also said they were willing to debate the matter but that
they feared being targeted by the police. “We may end up attracting police
officers,” said a resident.
Ndzingeni Member of Parliament (MP) Lutfo Dlamini also concurred during a
meeting that many dagga growers wanted to contribute openly to the ongoing
debate on legalisation of dagga but felt intimidated.
The MP said legally, dagga did not exist in Eswatini due to the laws. He
questioned how someone could debate about its legalisation without actually
seeing what he was talking about.
Lutfo said there should be some amnesty so that people could openly contribute
to dagga cultivation without worrying about being arrested.  He said there were
views which were currently missing from the debate because people were afraid to
comment.
secret
Lutfo openly told residents that it was not a secret that many people were
cultivating it. He urged the residents to contribute towards the ongoing dagga
debates so as to avoid the licence being granted to non-locals.
Also among the residents during the meeting was a pastor who admitted that in
his business, dagga growers played a role. After the pastor’s contribution,
some of the residents told him that even the offering was from dagga
cultivation.
Meanwhile, The Eswatini Cannabis Association is of the view that the law should
be respected even during debates of the legalisation of cannabis.
Saladin Magagula from the association said people should be free to add
contributions to the debate but that they should still respect the law.
Magagula said the purpose of the debate was to allow people to speak freely
without fear of being arrested.
He said he did not see the necessity of the amnesty but urged that people who
opened up should not be intimidated. “If there are cases where people were
being victimised because they spoke about dagga, let us know,” said Magagula.