A DOPER'S GUIDE TO PARTY POLICIES ON CANNABIS

ACDP

Advocate Zwelethu "Mighty" Madasa says the African Christian Democratic
Party believes that cannabis is dangerous to society and should therefore
remain illegal.

According to Madasa, there is scientific evidence to proves that cannabis is
a drug. And that the abuse of it leads to an increase in crime. This he has
seen with his own eyes, he says, while growing up in the Transkei, where
many people survive on it.

ANC

Spokesperson Steyn Speed says the African National Congress believes that
the existing law should remain in place.

Speed is unaware of the Department of Agriculture's efforts to exclude
"hemp" from the law that makes cannabis illegal.

Azapo

Pandelane Nefolovhodwe of the Azanian People's Organisation says it has no
problem with the personal or traditional uses of cannabis. "But it is not an
issue for the election now."

DA

The Democratic Alliance uses Bob Marley's Stand up For Your Rights as part
of their crowd-pleasing campaign.

And grandmother of the DA Helen Suzman strongly supports the
decriminalisation of cannabis. "People are sent to prisons for cannabis and
then they get raped, they get HIV/ Aids; and a criminal record for life,"
she says.

Suzman says that cannabis is a gateway drug simply because the same
black-market dealer who sells one cannabis will also push the harder drugs.

"Furthermore, cannabis is not nearly as dangerous as alcohol. It doesn't
make people aggressive and they don't smash their cars."

Considering this, one would expect the DA to have a liberal policy on
cannabis. But they don't have one at all and they are not liberal, either.

To please the crowd, health spokesperson Robert Carlisle issued an
"embargoed" proposal.

"That the government be requested to appoint a commission to investigate and
report on the production, distribution and use of cannabis in South Africa
with the objective of developing national policy in this regard."

Of particular consideration in this investigation should be the "elimination
of criminal distributors." So what's new?

GP

Being the only party with an official policy on cannabis, the Green Party
supports the legalisation of growing, trading and utilisation of the weed.

Their "environmentally friendly" policy can be read at "www.
greenparty.org.za/daggapolicy.html

ID

When Andre du Plessis - an activist for the legalisation of hemp - started
to share his vision with those in power three years ago, "funky" Patricia de
Lille was the only one who spent the time listening to him.

Then she was still with the PAC. Now neither she nor any spokesperson of the
Independent Democrats is available for comment.

IFP

The party's communications spokesperson, Suzanne Vos, says she wishes she
knew what the Inkatha Freedom Party's stand on cannabis is.

"I've certainly never been to National Council where it's been discussed,"
she says.

Nevertheless, she thinks the decriminalisation of cannabis is an interesting
argument that needs to be pursued. National spokesperson John Cayzer was
just as outspoken: "I don't know."

NNP

According to health spokesperson Dr Kobus Gouws, the New National Party
takes note of what the leading countries are up to with regards to the
decriminalisation and industrial utilisation of cannabis.

Gouws, a practising doctor, believes there is a particularly strong case for
cannabis as medicine. Furthermore, he finds the manpower and money wasted on
police raids shocking. According to Gouws the NNP takes a "quite liberal"
stand on cannabis and believes that the law should be relaxed.

PAC

This site is still under construction. The requested information is not
available yet.

UCDP

Spokesperson Mavis Matladi says that as a Christian Party the United
Christian Democratic Party is against the abuse of drugs. "Until we are sure
about the benefits of cannabis, or of its medical purpose, the UCDP can not
take an official stand."

UDM

The United Democratic Movement is opposed to the legalisation of cannabis
for recreational or other general usage. "Legalising Cannabis in South
Africa may, in fact, increase the influence of the crime syndicates.

"As far as hemp is concerned, it is difficult to understand why, at a time
of massive agricultural and technological knowledge and capacity, we should
fixate on this particular plant fibre. There are many plants with equivalent
properties."

FF+

According to spokesperson Pieter Groenewald, the Freedom Front Plus strongly
condemns the use of cannabis. I told him that Mercedes uses it for
biodegradable dashboards and door panels. "Well, then it should be properly
regulated."

* Ruan Kemp is a freelance journalist