Image above Snoux Poswa on the left with Ras Gareth Prince; photo by Brett Hilton-Barber
PONDOLAND SPEAKS
“UMTU NGUMTU NGABANTU!”
Greetings Africa!!
I write to you from the majestic hills and valleys of the Western Pondoland Kingdom in the Eastern Cape on the Wild Coast.
My name is Sonwabile “Snoux” Poswa (pronounced “Snowcks”). I am an African man with many layers. I am amongst others a cannabis activist! An enthusiastic advocate for the responsible use of Pondolands’ rich bio-diversity, it’s fertile land, water supply, abundant labour and countless opportunities to establish a responsible, sustainable, innovative and yet authentic economy that generations of Africans can inherit with confidence and pride.
My village is 10 km east of Mthatha, along the R61 going towards Port St Johns. It is close to the border of the Aba Thembu Kingdom along the Corona river. The Western Pondoland Kingdom territory covers both the Nyandeni Local Municipality and the Port St Johns Local Municipality of the OR Tambo District. These are areas that have been producing a lot of cannabis for responsible adult use and wellness for centuries. They call their cannabis “Intsangu” or “Umya”. Many indigenous cannabis farmers have built wealth and sustainedlivelihoods through the cultivation and trade of “Intsangu”.
There are so many stories I would like to share with you about how the local farmers in the villages of the Pondoland Kingdom manage to survive and continue trading with the plant whilst all odds are against them. The touching stories of how communities were attacked by the military, the media and police, and how they are arrested, poisoned, tortured and even killed because they are cultivating “Intsangu”.
Celebrate a crop that brings life and builds communities
I would like to share stories of a plant that was created by God to service mankind and his animals in a very broad and unique way. We know that this plant can provide food, medicine, housing, energy, clothing, furniture, paper, plastic, fencing. It also provides an immediate connection to the source of creation, that’s why it inspires creativity and enhances consciousness, gratitude and conscience in most of its users.
We refuse to accept that a crop we know to bring life is said to bring death. A crop we know for centuries to heal and feed so many is said to be a destroyer of communities. A crop that connects man to the spiritual source in righteousness is said to be causing demonic madness. A crop that can provide man with shelter that doesn’t burn is denied that purpose. A crop that contributes to the healing of many serious ailments is side-lined and replaced with poisonous chemicals that are given a legal status despite their side effects.
If the government allows people to cultivate and use a plant and its value added products in their private spaces but doesn’t allow anyone to sell or buy the products. How is the end user going to get easy and safe access to quality controlled cannabis products if it doesn’t allow the industry to provide its properly regulated products? Should the end user do that themselves? Why? Is it because government doesn’t mind people getting high?! What this government doesn’t want to see happening is many poor people getting wealthy?!
Our government is designing value chains that don’t include indigenous “Intsangu” farmersas the oldest existing cannabis industry. It has packaged its patronising agenda of oppression in ridiculous limitations of possession, in all kinds of acts, meaningless parliament sittings, Bills, procedures and processes that are all fake and hypocritical. Created by ignorant minds without any respect for the well-being our families. Government departments and officials are too busy protecting themselves from traps caused by the evil prohibition that plagues the indigenous farmer and Rastafarian communities instead of ending this nightmare.
Govt no longer cares about the suffering of its own people
Our government has forgotten that they are to stand with the people. They are now being very deceitful about transformation. They are just employing delaying tactics in order to avoid genuine transformation. They have decided to be patronising and cruel like Apartheid was to the black population. They don’t care that their own people are suffering.
So they take yet another day, year, decade without stopping the police violations, without releasing the so called “cannabis offenders” from prison, clearing their criminal records and immediately stopping the injustice perpetuated and sanctioned by our own government against its’ citizens.
South Africans, our local economic advantage is being sold out to foreign interests. We must unite immediately, because even if you are a rich white South African investor in the cannabis industry in South Africa the South African government doesn’t support you as it should. If you are a small indigenous farmer from Pondoland the South African Government arrests, you for trading instead of supporting you.
A highly respected member of the Rastafarian community, Ras Gareth Prince, took government to court and won on behalf of the Rasta community and the indigenous communities at large in 2018. But unfortunately the Rasta community still faces harassment, and the general violation of their human rights to-date and so do the farmers and merchants in the Eastern and Western Cape.
The government was given two years after the constitutional court ruling, to come up with a legal framework draft that empowers everyone in the right direction. Instead of that Government has taken more than eight years in which nothing has changed for these communities. Things are actually getting worse.
The new modernised legislation that is disguised as help or a so called step in the right direction is nothing but hypocrisy, lies and manipulation of public opinion. They still bring the police to your doorstep for nonsense and without search warrants. What kind of freedom is that?
We will turn this negativity around
It is very disappointing that government doesn’t make an effort in providing immediate relief for its people and ensure proper access to the cannabis commodity and its’ socio-economic benefits.
Government must stop working in silos when addressing the cannabis development process and must stop its delaying tactics.
The “gradualism” being employed in the liberation of “Intsangu” makes the South African government an oppressor not a liberator. That must change immediately! A sense of urgency needs to be adapted.
In closing. I am proud to be a part of this new South Africa the “land of the conquered Kingdoms” that are now peacefully bound into one democratic rainbow nation whose light shines brighter than the stars.
This is the land of “Ubuntu” (humanity), where humanity reigns over greed, witchcraft, money and all material things. The land where enemies become neighbours, and hatred turns into mutual respect.
The land where different races and cultures come together to build one proud African nation!! This is because “Umtu ngumtu ngabantu!!” (A human is human through humans). “Soz’ ijike” (that will never change)!!!
Snoux Poswa
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