Malawi Police nab Rasta man over hemp:  Bid to legalise weed

Malawi Police in Nkhotakota have arrested a 26-year-old Rasta man for illegally being found in possession of 31 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa locally knowns as ‘chamba’  at Kaombe police checkpoint in the district.

Rastafarian man smoking cannabis
Rastafarian man smoking cannabis

Cannabis is regarded as a “sacred commodity” by Rastas and they have been campaigning to have laws allow them to use and sell cannabis as part of their religious beliefs and culture.

Dung their routine search on the night of February 4, 2015, police found Pitilizani Lapukeni with the ‘luggage’ aboard a National Bus Company bus registration BQ 4132 going to Blantyre from Mzuzu.

“Soon after the bus arrived at Kaombe Police roadblock, all passengers disembarked for police search. In the process, they discovered five baskets put together and concealed in black plastic paper which contained the illicit drug,” said Nkhotakota Police spokesperson Williams Kaponda.

The weed is widely grown in Nkhotakota.

He added: “A few minutes later the man came to a police officer conducting the search and offered him K4 000 to let him pass with the dangerous drugs. This prompted the officers manning the roadblock to identify the owner of the baskets and was immediately arrested.”

The suspect has been charged with an offence of being found in possession of Cannabis Sativa without license contrary to section 4 (a) of Dangerous Drug Regulation and 19 (1) of the Dangerous Drug Act.

Lapukeni hails from Mbaluku village, Senior Chief Malengachanzi in the district and is expected to appear before Nkhotakota Magistrate Court soon.

Following such growing cases which have become rampant in the district, police have appealed to the general public to come forward with information that will lead to curbing the malpractice.

Police, further remind the general public that rewards are still being made to patriotic Malawians who come forward with information which lead to the arrest of the drug traffickers.

But the Rasta continue to argue that the constitution allows everyone’s entitlement to freedom of  religion, including Rastafarian which allows use of Chamba regarded as a “sacred commodity” and “sacrament incense” with authority for its use derived from the Bible.

They regard Chamba as a herb originally grown in the Garden of Eden for the use of mankind for religious, culinary and medicinal purposes.

And that they don’t sell Chamba in open market as they  do it in their “Rastafarian gatherings” comparing the practise of Christian churches holding summer fairs and coffee mornings for fund raising purposes.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :

Sharing is caring!

Follow us in Twitter
47 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
kauniuni
kauniuni
9 years ago

legalize it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the holy herb!

Ngambwe
Ngambwe
9 years ago

kulephera kuthana ndi cash gate kulimbana ndi Golide haha makape simudzalemera dzibani misonkho yathuyo

Mwanawane
9 years ago

Musiyeni Rastaman sinkhani imeneyo,mukukanika kugwira mbava za cashgate agalu inu. Sitingasiye kusuta chamba olo atati more fire Kingman!!

New Govt
New Govt
9 years ago

Inu musamavele AZUNGU zilizose! Chamba is not a drug and ask the Cuba ppo are rich with this herb and are advanced in medics due to free use in any type of herb! Whites sell you wood glue which is so dangerous and ppo sniff it for pleasure why don’t u bann it also? Not everyone mad in streets is sick due hemp! Leagalise it If not I wlill run for presidency and leagalise this! For Trapence and Ntambo this is better to advance than homosexuality yanu ija akapolo inu! Peter Muthalika you should legalise this for forex earning to… Read more »

Gimbogo
Gimbogo
9 years ago

Azungu omwe anapanga malamulo oletsa chambawo kwawo akusintha ife tikudikira chani

ndadabwa
9 years ago

chamba chimenecho a polisi akagulitsa. nawonso amasuta. a polisi a ku Malawi ndi agalu. akanawapatsa 10,000.00 akanamuleka. apolisi akuba nambala one ndi apolisi a ku Malawi. apusi

Dr. Mango
Dr. Mango
9 years ago

Very unfortunate to read comments that are leaning towards legalising Chamba. Did you go to school? At least to Primary School?

Chakumudzi
9 years ago

Nthawi yoseyi apolisi simadziwa kuti timalima chamba?

apao
apao
9 years ago

What af..ck ugive alicence to pole to fire arm which kills pole y not chamba , and for your info its not chamba it is called tsamba, wake up, promote whiteman’s industry not black’s , in. Africa Tina uzidwa ndi azungu kwambiri, coz futi adapanga ndi azungu adappangatso lamulo lokomela maganizo awo, hah bless, and guide while we r pushing for our freedom of. Association,

Gift Nyasulu
Gift Nyasulu
9 years ago

many are going mad in our street due to the same drug so its good that the gov add its mesures to resrict the use of the drug.

Read previous post:
Davido rocks Malawi capital, plants ‘celebrity tree’

Young, rich and famous that's what Nigerian multi-award winning music sensational Davido is. He arrived in Malawi on Thursday afternoon and already caused...

Close