Dagga activist lights up on SABC

11 may 2015 Head of the Cannabis Working Group Andre du Plessis lit up and smoked what appears to be cannabis on SABC Newsroom show during a live TV interview on Monday.

11 may 2015 Head of the Cannabis Working Group Andre du Plessis lit up and smoked what appears to be cannabis on SABC Newsroom show during a live TV interview on Monday.

Published May 12, 2015

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Cape Town - Smoking marijuana is illegal in South Africa, but this did not stop the head of the Cannabis Working Group, André du Plessis, from lighting up what appears to have been dagga during a live televised interview, an action the SABC has strongly condemned.

Du Plessis was part of a debate on the broadcaster’s show, The Newsroom, and just before the debate concluded he took out his lighter and appeared to light up a joint.

SABC spokesman Kaiser Kganyago said they were not able to confirm whether what Du Plessis was smoking was marijuana, but said they condemn his actions.

“He took advantage of a live show and we do not condone any kind of smoking. Smoking of any kind is not shown on any of our platforms and is not even allowed to be advertised.”

Kganyago said he was not aware of any complaints that were received.

“He is not a member of staff at the SABC, but we will look into the matter and see how we can take it forward. If it was not live we would have been able to edit it out, but he took advantage of the fact that it was a live show.”

Kganyago said stopping him during the live taping would have meant someone from the crew would have had to get into the picture and it would have “disrupted the process”.

Du Plessis was in a debate about the legalisation of marijuana in South Africa and he appeared to become agitated when the Central Drug Authority’s deputy chairman, David Nayever, said the process of legalisation of marijuana was delayed by the xenophobic attacks that spread across the country last month.

Du Plessis then lit up his smoke and when asked by host, Annine Dormehl, for closing comments, he simply blew out a puff of smoke and said, “I think that is all I have to say.”

After much speculation about what he was smoking, in an interview with eNCA online, Du Plessis confirmed that it was in fact marijuana.

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Cape Argus

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