Churches chip in on dagga

RASTAFARIANS lobbying for the legalisation of dagga – ‘holy smoke’ to them – received a fair bit of opposition yesterday from church groups – an ‘unholy practice’ to them – on the second day of a public hearing on the Combating of the Abuse of Drugs Bill in Windhoek.

The hearing also heard a new argument – that the popular image of dagga as a dangerous substance was nothing more than western propaganda ‘because it was an enemy of capitalism’. Overall, day two of the proceedings, which coincidentally took place on the birthday of late Rasta legend Bob Marley, attracted a lot more attention from members of the public than the opening session.The Ombudsman, Nascam, the Council of Churches in Namibia (CCN), the Universal Church and the Seventh Day Adventist Church all contributed to discussions around the bill yesterday, while civilians once again came out in full support of cannabis – urging lawmakers to drop the plant from the list of banned substances in Namibian society.The CCN generally agreed with the proposed law, but said Government needed to include “stiff punishment” for minors who make themselves guilty of drug and alcohol abuse.”The position of the Church in Namibia concerning alcohol and drug use and abuse is quite well known,” CCN General Secretary Reverend Phillip Strydom said.”Our nation today shows clear symptoms of alcohol and drug abuse, and the nation is at the point of being destroyed by alcohol and drug abuse,” he said.The Universal Church, on the other hand, while supporting the aims of the bill, urged Government to make sure whether the suggested minimum sentences of 20 years’ imprisonment for first-time offenders, and 30 years’ imprisonment for subsequent arrests (regardless of quantity and type of drug involved) were the correct way to go.”We understand that it is not in the interest of any person to send a human being to jail for 20 to 30 or even more years.It is expensive for Government.It deprives the inmates of their liberty, families, friends, jobs and communities.It reduces their subsequent income and employability and can destroy their families’ financial and social stability.”Still, if this was considered the way to go, the church said Government should accompany this with an awareness campaign to keep citizens out of prison.”If a person who uses drugs only a few times because of his curiosity only finds out in court that he will stay in jail for 20 years, this severe punishment will not bring about the desired effect,” the church stated.The Universal Church further proposed that sentences should vary depending on the type of drug a suspect is caught with, making a distinction between drugs such as cocaine, amphetamines (speed), and dagga.Ombudsman John Walters criticised a number of things either proposed or absent from the bill.The lack of any provision for treating drug addicts was a loophole that could be exploited by suspects, Walters suggested.”The courts will face these problems.Someone will say, ‘yes, I’m guilty, but I did it because I’m addicted to cocaine’.Will that be considered compelling evidence to let the suspect go free? That won’t serve the interest of the public.The court, under this proposed legislation, has no power to send someone for treatment while being held,” Walters said.He further agreed with others who felt that a sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment for a first-time offender was unrealistic.”I believe children experiment, whether with sex, cigarettes or liquor.We all at times experiment with immoral things.The main thing should be to rehabilitate those abusing it,” he said.Walters further criticised a clause in the bill (Section 24, subsection 6) which will allow Police to install monitoring devices, equipment or software on premises, telephones, or computer systems of suspicious people without the permission of a judge.”I cannot agree with this.What circumstances will prevent an officer from approaching a judge to say they need permission to monitor a suspect? Police should under all circumstances get permission from a judge.If necessary a Police officer can approach a judge at 12 o’clock at night.This section should not be enacted into law,” the Ombudsman cautioned.DAGGA – ENEMY OF CAPITALISM? In a presentation that drew applause from the public, Norelle Louw argued that the popular image of dagga as a dangerous substance was nothing more than western propaganda.”Before 1910 cannabis were not illegal anywhere in the world.It was only when America started getting this whole capitalism thing going,” she argued.She said that hemp (fibre of the cannabis plant) was originally used to make rope and strong fabrics.”Hemp practically carried the (American) civil war as farmers were pushed to produce it so soldiers would have enough clothing.”But cannabis was no good for a capitalist society,” she said to applause from public benches.”While hemp gets stronger with age, capitalism needs people to buy continually.So therefore they introduced cotton, which wears out quickly, and to stop people from using cannabis they had to get something on it.That’s when all the propaganda started and it had to be removed from society,” she said.Louw, like a multitude of others before and after her, urged Government to decriminalise dagga.”Forbidden fruit is always the sweetest to the youth,” she said in conclusion, arguing that in Holland where dagga is tolerated, fewer young people are believed to smoke it than in America where it is illegal.Overall, day two of the proceedings, which coincidentally took place on the birthday of late Rasta legend Bob Marley, attracted a lot more attention from members of the public than the opening session. The Ombudsman, Nascam, the Council of Churches in Namibia (CCN), the Universal Church and the Seventh Day Adventist Church all contributed to discussions around the bill yesterday, while civilians once again came out in full support of cannabis – urging lawmakers to drop the plant from the list of banned substances in Namibian society.The CCN generally agreed with the proposed law, but said Government needed to include “stiff punishment” for minors who make themselves guilty of drug and alcohol abuse.”The position of the Church in Namibia concerning alcohol and drug use and abuse is quite well known,” CCN General Secretary Reverend Phillip Strydom said.”Our nation today shows clear symptoms of alcohol and drug abuse, and the nation is at the point of being destroyed by alcohol and drug abuse,” he said.The Universal Church, on the other hand, while supporting the aims of the bill, urged Government to make sure whether the suggested minimum sentences of 20 years’ imprisonment for first-time offenders, and 30 years’ imprisonment for subsequent arrests (regardless of quantity and type of drug involved) were the correct way to go.”We understand that it is not in the interest of any person to send a human being to jail for 20 to 30 or even more years.It is expensive for Government.It deprives the inmates of their liberty, families, friends, jobs and communities.It reduces their subsequent income and employability and can destroy their families’ financial and social stability.”Still, if this was considered the way to go, the church said Government should accompany this with an awareness campaign to keep citizens out of prison.”If a person who uses drugs only a few times because of his curiosity only finds out in court that he will stay in jail for 20 years, this severe punishment will not bring about the desired effect,” the church stated.The Universal Church further proposed that sentences should vary depending on the type of drug a suspect is caught with, making a distinction between drugs such as cocaine, amphetamines (speed), and dagga.Ombudsman John Walters criticised a number of things either proposed or absent from the bill.The lack of any provision for treating drug addicts was a loophole that could be exploited by suspects, Walters suggested.”The courts will face these problems.Someone will say, ‘yes, I’m guilty, but I did it because I’m addicted to cocaine’.Will that be considered compelling evidence to let the suspect go
free? That won’t serve the interest of the public.The court, under this proposed legislation, has no power to send someone for treatment while being held,” Walters said.He further agreed with others who felt that a sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment for a first-time offender was unrealistic.”I believe children experiment, whether with sex, cigarettes or liquor.We all at times experiment with immoral things.The main thing should be to rehabilitate those abusing it,” he said.Walters further criticised a clause in the bill (Section 24, subsection 6) which will allow Police to install monitoring devices, equipment or software on premises, telephones, or computer systems of suspicious people without the permission of a judge.”I cannot agree with this.What circumstances will prevent an officer from approaching a judge to say they need permission to monitor a suspect? Police should under all circumstances get permission from a judge.If necessary a Police officer can approach a judge at 12 o’clock at night.This section should not be enacted into law,” the Ombudsman cautioned. DAGGA – ENEMY OF CAPITALISM? In a presentation that drew applause from the public, Norelle Louw argued that the popular image of dagga as a dangerous substance was nothing more than western propaganda.”Before 1910 cannabis were not illegal anywhere in the world.It was only when America started getting this whole capitalism thing going,” she argued.She said that hemp (fibre of the cannabis plant) was originally used to make rope and strong fabrics.”Hemp practically carried the (American) civil war as farmers were pushed to produce it so soldiers would have enough clothing. “But cannabis was no good for a capitalist society,” she said to applause from public benches.”While hemp gets stronger with age, capitalism needs people to buy continually.So therefore they introduced cotton, which wears out quickly, and to stop people from using cannabis they had to get something on it.That’s when all the propaganda started and it had to be removed from society,” she said.Louw, like a multitude of others before and after her, urged Government to decriminalise dagga.”Forbidden fruit is always the sweetest to the youth,” she said in conclusion, arguing that in Holland where dagga is tolerated, fewer young people are believed to smoke it than in America where it is illegal.