From a private sector perspective, John Jeffery, is a breath of fresh air in the corridors of power.
The former Deputy Justice Minister was appointed to co-ordinate cannabis policy within the DTIC in May this year and has strongly signaled his commitment to drawing up cannabis policy that is accepted as fair and transparent by the industry. Jeffery is part of the TIPS Unit which formulates policy for the DTIC and the Department of Science and Technology. He has filled the vacuum left in the Department when Simphiwe Hamilton was appointed director general and is in a position to start pulling together a coherent approach to cannabis policy.
During his engagement with Project Indlela webinar participants on 11 November 2025, Jeffery acknowledged the slow pace of cannabis reform and pointed to the difficulties the DTIC was experiencing in trying to align departments that did not share the same views on legalization. But he said the DTIC was overcoming these hurdles with the view of drawing up an over-arching ‘omnibus cannabis bill’ which would consolidate all cannabis regulatory activities under one roof.
In the meantime, the DTIC was engaging with a broad cross-section of stakeholders, not just a select few, in drawing up regulations for the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act. Jeffery said the DTIC was working on an interim regulatory solution for the domestic market, which would probably be in the form of an amendment to laws governing the operations of small business to allow for some form of cannabis trade.
He also said that he had engaged with new Police Minister Firoz Cachalia about halting cannabis arrests and the victimization of cannabis users. He said the Minister had been sympathetic to this and had asked for Jeffery to submit a memo outlining these concerns. Jeffery said the August 2023 SAPS directive ordering a moratorium on cannabis arrests did not properldy come into effect because it did not have the NPA’s buy-in. He said he was aware of the recent KZN SAPS directive warning of a clampdown on illegal operators and said that was problematic.
Jeffery said the most likely outcome in the near future was that trading in cannabis would be a little like sex work – illegal in the eyes of the law but tolerated – until such time as proper regulations were drawn up.
Jeffery also said he would take up the issue of the Upington Forfeiture Seizure with the NPA – this is case in which 44-year old Upington resident Lara Louw’s house was seized by the NPA after she was convicted of dealing in R300 worth of cannabis from the premises.
Jeffery’s open attitude to engagement is a new development within the DTIC and bodes well for the future. His participation in the Project Indlela discussions and approval of the industry drawing up its own compliance models is a sign that South Africa is not going to be presented with a cannabis commercial policy without stakeholder input.
John Jeffery‘s Parliamentary CV
Mr Jeffery served as a Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development. He studied law at the University of Natal and holds BA and LLB degrees, as well as a postgraduate diploma in environmental law, all from the University of Natal. He is an admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa.
After South Africa’s transition to a constitutional democracy in 1994, Mr Jeffery became a member of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature, where he chaired the Environment and Conservation Portfolio Committee.
Mr Jeffery first became a member of the National Assembly of Parliament in 1999. He is a former member of the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development, where he was instrumental in shaping several pieces of legislation, such as the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act, 2007, and the Child Justice Act, 2008.
He held the positions of Parliamentary Counsellor to the President and Deputy President from 1999 to July 2013, serving under Presidents Mbeki, Motlanthe, and Zuma. He was appointed as Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development in July 2013 and was re-appointed in 2019 by President Cyril Ramaphosa for a second term of office. He left that position at the end of the sixth administration
What is TIPS?
TIPS is an independent, non-profit South African economic research institution that supports economic policy development, while the dtic (Department of Trade, Industry and Competition) is a department of the South African government responsible for implementing policies for economic development.
Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS)
TIPS is an independent, non-profit economic research institution in Pretoria, South Africa, established in 1996 to support evidence-based economic policy development, particularly focusing on industrial policy.
TIPS’s key functions include conducting economic analyses on trade and industrial policy, inequality, and sustainable growth, and tracking economic data through various publications. They provide research and technical support to government departments like the dtic to improve industrial and economic development strategies. TIPS also facilitates discussions on policy issues through forums and seminars and offers capacity building through an intern program and training workshops.
Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic)
The dtic is a South African government department dedicated to promoting a dynamic, competitive, and inclusive economy. Its activities include:
- Promoting international trade, exports, and attracting investment.
- Developing and implementing policies for industrial growth, including “Master Plans” for key industries.
- Creating regulatory frameworks and promoting competition.
- Providing support for enterprise development, including SMEs.
Relationship Between TIPS and the dtic
TIPS is an independent body that collaborates closely with the dtic and other government agencies. TIPS provides research and analysis to the dtic, which helps inform policy formulation and implementation. Their work supports the dtic’s initiatives such as the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) and research on climate-compatible industrial strategies and localisation.
