Namibian political tensions are running high ahead of the elections scheduled for 27 November 2024 and this has spilled over into the cannabis space. Namibian Police Inspector General Joseph Shikongo (pictured above) has refused permission for a cannabis legalization protest to take place next month because ‘foreign nationals’ have been invited to participate.

The move has infuriated the march organizers, the Ganja Users of Namibia (GUN), who intend taking Shikongo to the public ombudsman for violating the country’s constitution.

The Namibian Sun reported that the Inspector General wrote on 14 November 2024:

“The proposed march may [. . .] be detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of Namibia, national security, public order, decency, and morality, due to the involvement of foreign participants from South Africa and European countries who are coming to Namibia specifically for the sole purpose of participating in the march."It is on the basis of the above background that your proposed march may not proceed,” reads the official letter from the office of the police chief, Inspector-General Joseph Shikongo.

GUN’s secretary general, Borro Ndungula, initially applied for permission for the march on 2 July 2024. Ndungula said that GUN, in collaboration with the Rastafari United Front (RUF), intended to raise awareness among Namibians about a case in the High Court in Windhoek challenging the constitutionality of laws against cannabis possession. Another application was submitted earlier this month.

Ndungula had been open about the involvement of international cannabis activists at the protest: “Since the cannabis case is attracting international attention, protesters will come from as far as South Africa and Europe to participate. GUN expects 1 000 people to join the march,” he said in the initial application.  In the second application, GUN appealed to government to “stop selectively allowing drugs, as certain large stores and pharmacies in Namibia freely sell cannabis products without prosecution, while every day cannabis users are arrested.”

GUN secretary general Borro Ndungula told the Namibian newspaper on 21 November 2024 that this response was disturbing and led them to take this matter to the human rights watchdog.

“The message that came from the office of the inspector general is very disturbing and can also bring problems to Namibians who are in Europe or in South Africa,” he said.

Ndungula says the involvement of foreign participants was to demonstrate solidarity for GUN’s cause.

“Whenever there is news around cannabis in Namibia, people from the outside world also want to be part of it and follow up on it. This is an international matter,” he says.

Ndungula says Shikongo’s decision is in denial of their basic human rights and the Constitution.

Shikongo yesterday told The Namibian he was busy and could not talk. He did not respond to further calls or text messages.

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