Green Party presidential running mate Clement Tafeni says decriminalising Marijuana remains the sure way of tackling poverty in Zambia.
Mr Tafeni who is a lawyer by profession said Zambia has the potential to earn more than 36 billion US dollars in constructive application of Marijuana, which he said is more six times more than what the country earns from Copper production.
He said the current system does have solutions for millions of unemployed youths with no prospect of even going to college or technical school because of poverty.
“Because of hopelessness some resort to alcohol abuse and some to marijuana. The system imprisons the youths found in possession of marijuana and as a result their first contact with “college” is prison; we end up turning them into hard-core criminals,” Mr Tafeni says.
“Meanwhile, when we the Green Party say let’s decriminalize marijuana and focus our energies on how we can turn around the fortunes of this country from the billion-dollar industry some people think we are crazy,” he said.
Mr Tafeni said Zambia can economically benefit from this wonder crop if the country just opens its ears and discard the prejudices and fears around the crop.
“Our own law the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Act in Section 9 recognizes the medicinal value of marijuana and expressly says the cultivation of marijuana for medical purposes shall not be an offence in Zambia.”
He said the Zambian government has deliberately ignored its own law and gone on rampage by just focusing on what he called the ‘tom and jerry games’ between the Drug Enforcement Commission and marijuana farmers, traders and consumers.
“We have said that we shall earn this country in excess of $36,000 Billion in constructive application of marijuana which is 6 times more than what the copper industry contributes to the coffers of this country; and we mean it,” he said.
He added, “It’s now a week ago when President Mr Peter Chazya Sinkamba and I filed in our nominations as President and Vice-President candidates, respectively, in the coming 11 August 2016 Presidential and General elections. As I reflect on the task before us as the Green Party, the task of transforming the mind sets of many of our compatriots I am happy that we have made great headway.”
Mr Tafeni said a great majority of Zambians have come to the realization that Zambia is not a poor country but a rich poor country.
“The irony of the state we have found ourselves in economically is as a result of being confined in our thinking and thinking that the foreign investors are the ones with solutions to our economic stagnation and retrogression.”
IYOO! MWAMONEKELA, MULAFIPEPA. IN THE FIRST PLACE DID WATCH WHAT BARACK OBAMA TOLD THE JAMAICANS ON CANNABIS WHEN HE VISITED JAMAICA? THEY WERE PRESSING FOR LEGALISATION OF CANNABIS. THE ANSWER WAS AN HONEST ONE. I AM NOT GONNA TELL YOU HOW/WHAT HE ANSWERED THEM. I WILL LET YOU FIND OUT BY YOURSELVES SO THAT YOU EVEN DEVELOP A HABIT OF READING/RESEARCHING.
Ibange likali.
am rolling Malawi gold A grade….brilliant lawyer plz help take innocent boys from prisons for holy weed colonial laws.ask Mpezeni for advice… .
My Party My weed. The only true party in zambia that is sincere and honest. This is better than the Ten Point plan.
By the way what is the party symbol on the Ballot?
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“Green Party presidential running mate Clement Tafeni says decriminalising Marijuana remains the sure way of tackling poverty in Zambia”.
POVERTY IN ZAMBIA CAN TACKLED NOT BY TOO MUCH WEED, BUT, BY LARGE SCALE FARMING OF DIFFERENT CROPS MINUS YOUR WEED AND EVEN TURNING TOBACCO FARMS INTO CROPS THAT DO NOT SPOIL ONE’S HEALTH BUT ADD VALUE TO HUMAN HEALTH. AND HOW COME THIS WEEDING-SMOKING POLITICAL PARTY HAS ONLY WOMEN? ABAPEPESHA SANA IFYAMBA MU ZAMBIA NOMBA?
LOL – I don’t know whether ba LT have misquoted this Lawyer Tafeni or he is not capable of articulating his points clearly. Look at his contradicting quotes: –
“Because of hopelessness some (youth) resort to alcohol abuse and SOME TO MARIJUANA”.
“Meanwhile, when we the Green Party say let’s DECRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA on how we can turn around the fortunes of this and focus our energies country from the billion-dollar industry some people think we are crazy,”
Lawyer Tafeni, please clarify:- How can people not think you are crazy if, by your own admission, you know very well our youth will resort to alcohol and marijuana when faced with adversity in life? Of the two, ALCOHOL, though bad for youth, clears off from the body much quicker but only after driving your liver into…
Cont’d …… liver into overdrive, but you are bound to suffer in old age due to that. MARIJUANA however, stays in your body, and screws you brain. Period. And you are advocating giving them access to irreversible damage?
Please give an example which Country has risen from poverty to prosperity without major IRREPARABLE DAMAGE TO ITS POPULATION using marijuana.
Just be honest, you do smoke this stuff, don’t you? If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck…..
Zesco is the crazy one. Power went at 6 in Zani Muone, ngwerere, kabangwe and it’s now 11, what type of 4hrs is this. This company must just be declared obsolete and close it. Green party is not crazy the problem is Zesco and it’s management and staff
All the best green party. I am your strongest sympathizer. Legalize it!!
Just legalize it. Alcohol, tobacco and even sugar are just as bad for our health. Is it your business if I want to smoke it. Let god sort me out not my fellow man telling me whats good for my body. Just like no one forced me to drink alcohol, no one can force me to smoke. We are not children or slaves.
@Mwe bantu,
Clearly you are underplaying it but you know very well the huge mental health implications among the vulnerable youth in deregulating marijuana far outweigh the economic benefits. But obviously you simply don’t care. You should be thankful other people, including your guardians, did not have your attitude, but cared for you and your Country when you were still vulnerable.
@Saulosi;NOW I UNDERSTAND YOU BETTER,MULA PEPA?
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Outrage as killing of Hippos in South Luangwa is revealed
June 11, 2016611,590 views
Theo De Marillac, hippo killer of the Luangwa, Pic-Kamisa Malipita
Theo De Marillac, hippo killer of the Luangwa, Pic-Kamisa Malipita
Outrage from animal conservation groups is mounting after leaked photos showed that thousands of Hippos are being slaughtered in the South Luangwa.
This was after Director of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DPNW), formerly ZAWA Paul Zyambo confirmed in an interview that there was an ongoing hippo culling programme in the South Luangwa.
Mr Zyambo said the hippo hunt contract was awarded last year as part of a culling programme aimed at managing the hippo population along the Luangwa River in the south.
Mr Zyambo…
BUSHE NA BA DOBOLAMO BAMBI ABA?