OMUTHIYA - A group of about 20 people under Turning Point Namibia, staged a peaceful demonstration yesterday in Omuthiya where they handed over a petition to the Oshikoto governor, objecting to recent campaigns and protests calling for the legalisation of cannabis.

The petition was read by Wilhelm Nambala, who appealed to the government and lawmakers to refuse to be used by some ‘elements’ for their own personal gain. 

“Many young marijuana users drop out of school and this puts the future of Namibia at stake. In addition to this, many have been kicked out of employment and some are unproductive employees due to the addiction of marijuana,” stated Nambala.
Last month, Ganja Users of Namibia (GUN) and scores of Namibian rastafarians in Windhoek, protested against the prohibition of cannabis, appealing to Namibian authorities to emulate South Africa and other countries that have decriminalised the recreational use of dagga.  GUN at the time demanded the repeal or amendment of the obsolete apartheid law, ‘Abuse of dependence-producing substances and the Rehabilitation Centers Act of 1971. In the petition, turning point Namibia demanded an operation by the police to search for marijuana growers in the whole Namibian society.  Furthermore, they demanded punishment of dagga users to be tough and also called for the reintroduction of bible studies in schools. The special advisor to the governor, Erwin Nashikaku received the petition and promised to forward it to the relevant authorities.