With cannabis legalisation feeling imminent in South Africa, it appears that there are already attempts by some of the president’s keepers to stake their claim. Which begs the question, has cannabis already been captured?
Earlier this year I wrote about the legal secret cannabis farm operating in KwaZulu Natal, but had no idea at the time that I was only scratching the surface of something that goes much deeper than I could have ever imagined. If you have not read the sensation that is The President’s Keepers I highly recommend that you do. Without going into great length or spoiling the bestselling expose for you, there is a startling allegation in its contents worth highlighting. This is the claim that some local tobacco companies are neck deep in crippling SARS (South African Revenue Service) and the capture of president Jacob Zuma along with various other leading ANC leaders.
The Presidents Keepers
The sweet and short of it is that a web of bribes and tax evasion, amounting in the hundreds of millions if not billions of Rand, by these tobacco companies and politicians has kamikaze’ed governments ability to investigate or prosecute these now untouchables. Prominent names include the usual suspects such as the Guptas and Zumas, but it was the names of Yusuf Kajee and Paul de Robillard as alleged tobacco smugglers and key role players in State Capture that started to raise questions among cannabis legalisation activists.
I’ll be completely honest, it worries me how close to the bone this may all cut. So I’m going to stick to what is public information and what we do know rather than speculate.
The license holder for the legal research grow in KZN is House of Hemp, a local company that has for over a decade participated in various arguably successful or unsuccessful projects under this license. “On July 18, 2017, House of Hemp sold a 60% interest to Canadian venture capital firm LGC, and its strategic partner in Africa, AfriAg. With the additional resources of this partnership, we’ll be focusing on increasing our growing footprint at Dube, so as to produce export-quantities of high-grade medical cannabis.”
House of Hemp Sells Majority
While the role of LGC seems somewhat ambiguous it is AfriAg that is worth delving into. “… AfriAg (Pty) Ltd also entered exciting growth markets of the legalised medical cannabis through its new strategic alliance with Canadian listed LGC Capital Limited (TSXV:LG) tocreate a new 50/50 Joint Venture to grow and distribute medical cannabis products in the southern African region for export to regulated and certified end users around the world”.
AfriAg Buys Majority of House of Hemp
Some light Googling easily concludes that Paul da Robillard is the owner of AfriAg (Pty) Ltd and that there are blogs rife with Yusuf Kajee’s involvement with the company. So non of this is any real secret nor displays nefarious intents.
What is does mean though is that the politically connected are already five steps ahead of those wanting to be a part of the pending legal medical, industrial and recreational cannabis markets. That tobacco company owners would also want to play a part in this market is only logical as they have the capital, expertise, infrastructure and supply-chains to quickly meet demand for legal products. What is concerning though is that the players appear to be those who are embroiled in State Capture.
It will take a great deal of due diligence and strict enforcement of regulations to prevent cannabis becoming another bribe and corruption riddled industry. More so a strong political appetite will be needed in order to shun or eject corrupt government individuals before cannabis is also captured by those with deep pockets and the president’s ear.
I honestly feel that giving the industry a boost by uniting as one to legalise the plant is the way to go. However I feel that leaving it in the hands of those who are already in the game for years have a greater headstart and leaves me to believe that it will be monopolized by these same money-driven members.
Let’s look at the cdcsa website.
It states ‘Protecting the SA cannabis industry from being exploited or dominated by foreign corporations’
So then who owns 60% of house of hemp? I don’t believe this to be a way to move forward which clearly is in contradiction of what the cdcsa wants to form. How can they allow HOH to be part of this when not so long ago a fee protesters went to the dube tradeport to ask for answers as to how did they (HOH) get a license to cultivate cannabis? Above that, they now part of the same organisation that is leading the way forward.
Next is what they mention again on the website, ‘Intensifying the fight to keep profits out of the hands of organized crime’
Again something that does not make sense and I want to start a canna business but I have to go through the cdcsa so that I am regulated but here we have Bobby who claims to be the robbin hood of cannabis but charges an arm and a leg for his products which he sells illegally and I’m sure judging from the post above is part of the cdcsa who is supposed to regulate it the correct way.
So I ask
Who is the cdcsa fooling?
Who is going to gain from all this?
How can this be free for all when the cdcsa already have a huge piece of the pie and can do as they please with anyone at any time?
How can an industry that deals with cannabis regulate cannabis?
I feel we need an independent organisation that has no ties with cannabis to regulate it. This is the only way to eliminate corruption because as time goes by there will be many members who will seek the guidance of cdcsa but won’t manage to follow the guidelines provided because the same people who are regulating it are the ones that are in it for themselves.
[…] trended hard over 2017 and was best known for appearing to be a move by South African officials to pull the rug right out from under the feet of local cannabis activists and canna-preneurs by selling licenses to foreign […]
[…] it had also sold the majority shareholding in the project to a Canadian partner and to those who have been alleged to be heavily involved with the vast plague of State corruption associated with president Jacob […]
who are the cigarette companies? Surely they form half of the pact? the tone of this article is somewhat telling
I am alarmed at the lack of outrage that the Dube facility has already grown (although I have it on good authority the Americans arrived in hazmat suits and closed it down, something to do with genetic infringement? not because it is illegal) and is apparently gearing up for a new grow.
While they are sidetracking us with MCC proposals and other bullshit they are already doing what they are not allowing the unconnected to do.
William Wallace I second your statement of suspicion about the involve between the CDCSA and specifically Dr Kanune and Bobby.
You guys play in the same bed but sing completely different tunes.
Bobby you really trying to make yourself and your foundation look like a true humanitarian project.
But on the same hand the CDCSA has meeting in provinces and select Chair people with out making the meeting open to the public. Yes people you heard that right the first CDCSA mpumalanga meeting was held clandestinely and was not of public knowledge. Chair people chosen in my province by the CDCSA that all of us in the real know of high grade cannabis have never heard of.
First under hand move CDCSA.
Another thing I would like to know Bobby is how can you carry on the way you do with your cannabis business and you have absolutely no harassment from the police. But let any of us guys advertise that we are any where close to small scale commercial and the police are bashing down our doors and arresting us.
Since I have found out the Edward Zuma has big fingers in the pie with HOH, LGC and Afri Ag.
Yes The High Co you read that right. You guys need to dig deeper you only scuffing the surface.
I see how the association with Dr Kanune the CDCSA and you Mr Bobby is so beneficial. Kind of gives you cartblanch to do as you like hey.lol lol eyebrows are cocked and sighted mate.
There is one thing I hate more than anything , is a person who acts like an angle and make out they care for the community but at the end they have one person in mind and that’s themselves.
I hope Bobby your hands are clean my friend.
We are digging hard at the moment and the dots are connecting very quickly.
My suggestion to the true growing community is start getting together and forming a new Cannabis Commitee that is truly out to help us free up the plant for cultivation for all.
Don’t be blinded by this we fighting for all crap. To many Skelton are coming out the closet at the moment and unfortunately the people that proclaim they fighting for us are actually in bed with the snakes that are selling our industry out from under our feet.
Wake up people you are being fooled.
One word, skuiwelinge.
What did you expect? That any freak could get a licence? They will own and control it from Day One. Absolutely no surprises here.
The CDCSA is currently being established to protect local genetics and the Cannabis industry as a whole. It is a government recognized initiative to develop a unified South African Cannabis regulatory board, run by the industry itself, not the Government. Government CANNOT change the existing laws until we have a regulated industry, just like ANY other commodity you can think of. The CDCSA is represented on 9 regional co operatives to provide a uniquely South African model, which is equally represented by all stakeholders in the potential and emerging industry. The CDCSA council encompasses not only medical and recreational representation, but also the Rastafarians, Traditional Healers, Educational institutions, the MCC and industrial and commercial entities like bio fuels, nutrition and hemp products. Legalization is happening, but its NOT an overnight process, and the CDCSA will continue to put pressure to achieve a legalized model where everybody benefits, including the economy of this country. For more info, go to http://www.cdcsa.co.za and become a member, because as a unified Cannabis culture, we will have a powerful voice against the foreign entities that seek to monopolize the SA Cannabis industry. The fight is almost over, now we are starting to build.
Hi Bobby, thank you for the comprehensive pitch.
Made an effort not to drag CDCSA into this article as I see and respect the work that is being done.
It may however be prudent to disclose in your comment that one of the CDCSA founding members is the owner of House of Hemp who sold the majority of the company to LGC and AfriAg.
Am not trying to get in the way of the council’s growth, hence not mentioning it in this article. It is HoH’s involvement with CDCSA that has personally dissuaded me from becoming a member and I get the feeling that many others are reluctant for the same reason.
The real work is just beginning and we should be careful not to build on the sand.