Killing the economic lifeblood of the Eastern Cape's weed-producing people
Police helicopters have sprayed herbicide in an effort to curb marijuana output
Sunday Times (South Africa)
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Sunday, March 27, 2016
In the mountains of Pondoland in the Eastern Cape, 'intsangu' is green gold: the key to the rural poor's economic survival. Why then, despite global progress towards decriminalising cannabis, are police spraying crops with poison from helicopters? The police say they would not be "derailed" from their mission unless "interdicted by court or advised not to proceed by the government of the Republic of South Africa, acting on advice of toxicologists employed to look at the interests of the state". In the absence of an interdict, "the SAPS will continue with the aerial spraying programme to eradicate illicit cannabis crops". (See also: Cops to spray poison on dagga)
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