At first glance it could be mistaken for a herb picked from a garden. But in reality, this "herb" hides a powerful drug that is now openly used on the streets of Johannesburg and it appears many policemen are ignorant of this substance.
Khat, mirra, or green grass are just several names for a leaf that has been chewed in east Africa and the Middle East for centuries.
The leaf comes from a tree called Catha edulis and when it is chewed the user experiences feelings of increased alertness, confidence and a loss of appetite.
But khat can also be addictive with millions of users worldwide dependent on the drug, often with detrimental effects to family and the mental wellbeing of the user.
Depression and psychological disorders, like psychosis, are common among regular users.
There is also evidence that the civil strife in Somalia is linked to khat. Warlords supply khat to their militia gunmen to give them courage which often culminates in bloodshed. Also, the multi million dollar trade in the drug is used to finance the buying of weapons.
Now khat is making its appearance in South Africa. In downtown Johannesburg, east African immigrants often chew khat openly on the streets - sometimes in full view of the police who appear oblivious to the existence of this illegal substance.
"Once we were stopped by the police late one night," recalled one Somali who regularly chews khat. "We were chewing green grass, he thought that we were taking something illegal but all he did was give us a breathalyser test and had to let us go."
The khat that these Somalis are chewing is brought in from Ethiopia and Kenya. "The khat from Kenya is the best," said one Somali. "We know it as mirra, it usually sells for about R60-R70 a bunch. News soon gets around when mirra has arrived."
Until recently khat coming from east Africa was mainly smuggled through Johannesburg International Airport. In the first six months of last year more khat was seized at the airport than cocaine and dagga combined.
But this year khat smugglers prefer to use other ways of getting the drug across the South African borders.
According to the South African Narcotics Bureau's (Sanab) spokesperson for the Johannesburg International Airport, Ina Middel, no khat has been seized at the airport this year, nor have there been any arrests.
The reason, say Somalis who are involved in bringing khat into the country, is that the drug is now brought overland from Kenya by train to Harare where it is then taken by road through to South Africa.
"Sometimes it is one or two hundred kilos at a time often in refrigerated trucks which are hardly ever searched," one Somali explained. Khat has to be transported quickly as the leaf has to be chewed fresh, usually within 48 hours of picking.
But khat is not only imported. Catha edulis also grows in South Africa and is known locally as Bushmen's Tea, which traditionally is used as a cure for flu. Khat, it appears, is cultivated for sale in South Africa.
Currently Sanab is looking for an East London businessman who it is believed has been growing khat for at least the last three years.
And the Eastern Cape is not the only area where khat is grown.
According to Somalis, khat is also grown near Nelspruit in Mpumalanga, and in the Orange Free State.
"The khat that comes from South Africa isn't that strong," says one of the Somali khat dealers. "It is usually sold for about R25 a bunch."
While the majority of khat is consumed by Somalis and other east African immigrant populations, some of the Somali khat dealers say that they do know of regular South African users. Apparently for a time khat was also in vogue at a well-known Yeoville night club.
But so far both the South African National Council for Alcohol and Drug Dependence and Drugwise haven't had anyone approach them with an addiction to khat. Neither has Sanab arrested any South Africans this year for possession of the drug. The only arrests so far have been those of four Somalis.
In the Eastern Cape where two of the Somalis were arrested, there appears to be confusion over whether the drug is in fact illegal.
"Cathinone, which is found in khat, is considered illegal under the drug act, but the plant itself appears not to be," said Inspector Greg Grieb, Sanab, East London.
"We are going to wait for the court case involving the Somalis to see how khat will be defined in court."
But according to Senior Superintendent George Mason, commander of Sanab, khat is illegal.
"The South African Narcotics Bureau concerns itself with the possession of and dealing of khat as illegal, by law," he stated.