KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi, told Ugu residents that government will work tirelessly to ensure that black people are the first to get permits for cannabis cultivation.
Sithole-Moloi was speaking at the Ugu Sports and Leisure Centre on Saturday during the 100 days and beyond commemoration programme by the KZN MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Siboniso Duma.
After President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent announcement regarding government’s efforts to move towards formalising the cannabis trade, several roleplayers, including farmer formations, have expressed interest in exploring cannabis cultivation, saying it could be a game-changer for the South African economy.
However, Sithole-Moloi said for years there have a number of black people whose cannabis had been confiscated, others arrested, and some killed for cultivating cannabis.
She said out of the 208 people who have applied for cannabis cultivation permits in the past year, they will audit to see who had been growing marijuana before government made an announcement.
“The use of cannabis should be legal, there are already marijuana products that exists which proves that there are people who have been using marijuana after it has been confiscated by law enforcement agencies from our people. I am talking about bathing products, hair products, and more. That is why we want that power given back to our people. The vision of the Department of Agriculture says we must radically transform the agricultural sector, this means it will not be easy changing laws for the benefit of black people,” she said.
Sithole-Moloi said there are a number of people who now want to get cannabis cultivation permits while others died for the legalisation of this.
She said as government, they have a job to do, to bring back dignity to black people by giving them the legal right to grow cannabis so that they can make a living for themselves.
The MEC’s sentiments of cannabis permits was welcomed by many at the Ugu Sports and Leisure Centre, including MEC Siboniso Duma who said they will assist the KZN Department of Agriculture and Rural Development with making sure that black people are first in line when it comes in handing out permits.
“MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi, has a valid point and we will do our best that this idea comes to life. But we will fight for black people to receive these cannabis cultivation permits but we will not fight for people to smoke marijuana; there is a huge difference,” said Duma.
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