Cape Town - A housing innovator who proposes using hemp to curb South Africa's growing housing problem has not ruled out Constitutional Court litigation to compel the government to revise the legislation on dagga.
"There is a strong possibility we will initiate litigation, hopefully this year," said Andre du Plessis.
Hemp is extracted from the fibrous stem of dagga plants and is used to make rope, stout fabrics, fibreboard and paper, among other products.
Du Plessis said Cape Town would join 180 cities across 37 countries on Saturday in a march that would highlight the many uses of dagga.
He said the public awareness campaign would call for an end to the prohibition of industrial dagga use in housing and agriculture.
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Du Plessis said South Africa faced a massive housing backlog with cost being the biggest prohibitive factor. He proposed building low-cost houses using hemp.
Dagga had a long history in Africa, going back 5 000 years, he said, and it was important to acknowledge and legitimise the dagga farming already happening in rural and impoverished areas.
"We will ask the minister of housing to give this legitimate solution a chance," he said.
Dagga, a common name for cannabis, was banned in South Africa in 1909. South Africa is one of the world's largest producers of dagga, with about 120 000ha a year cultivated with local strains.
During Saturday's march a memorandum would be delivered to a representative from the department of housing, highlighting the use of hemp in housing and agriculture, and the right of all to secure ecologically sustainable development, Du Plessis said. - Sapa
- This article was originally published on page 4 of The Mercury on May 04, 2005
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