The ANC beware. For the first time since 1991, the Inkatha Freedom Party is in the news. No, Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi hasn’t stepped down. No, he’s not two-thirds into a 23-day speech. Yes, they are still contesting the elections. No, they aren’t marching to the ANC’s Luthuli House. The Kwa-Zulu Natal-based IFP want to legalise weed. Bud. Herb. Bhudda. Mary Jane. It’s good to see they’re aiming high. On Tuesday, cancer-surviving (congratulations Mr Oriani-Ambrosini) IFP MP Mario Oriani-Ambrosini made an impassioned plea to President Jacob Zuma to legalise weed after stating that marijuana saved his life. Yes. Marijuana saves lives. But we knew that.
Before you get too excited though, the good Member of Parliament wasn’t referring to your local dealer’s potent dosages of Durban Poison. He’d like to see marijuana legalised for medicinal purposes only.
Wondering what medicinal marijuana is? Wikipedia knows all.
Medical cannabis (or medical marijuana) refers to the use of cannabis and its constituent cannabinoids, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), as medical therapy to treat disease or alleviate symptoms. The Cannabis plant has a history of medicinal use dating back thousands of years across many cultures. – WikipediaYes, yes indeed it does. In other news about the IFP, leader Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi joined the chorus of opposition leaders that have questioned President Jacob Zuma’s leadership over the last five years and rejected his SONA address as misleading.
Dr Buthelezi said to the President, “Considering this last quarter of our democratic era, one blatant truth demands to be spoken: Mr President, under your watch, this government has failed South Africa.” he continued, “Twenty years ago, words like ‘rainbow nation’, ‘miracle transition’, ‘freedom’, and ‘reconciliation’ filled the public discourse. Under your leadership, Mr President, those words have become ‘Marikana’, ‘scandal’, ‘protest’, and ‘corruption’.”
It seems even at 85, Chief Buthelezi remains vigilant and on the ball. Could the IFP use a younger leader however? Particularly with the youth vote being up for grabs and all? We hope to speak to an IFP youth leader soon.
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