Swazi Observer

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WALTER BENNETT SHOCKS LEGISLATORS

By Mbono Mdluli | 2019-08-22

Former Senator Walter Bennett is not renowned for holding back, and yesterday’s appearance before the House of Assembly portfolio committee of the ministry of health did not disappoint.

The outspoken former senator made a number of sensational claims, disclosing before the committee that there are some Emaswati who are dealing in trading illegal drugs such as heroin.

Bennett pleaded with the portfolio committee for integrity to be elevated during this whole exercise of consultations about the licensing of cannabis.

The former senator was of the view that Emaswati should be made number one priority in the licensing of cannabis. He told the MPs that at present, there was also an underground illegal heroin syndicate, which penetrated the Eswatini space a long time ago.

He said the syndicate included top officials from the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) and some politicians, including Cabinet.

He warned that the syndicate was not happy with the whole process of wanting to licence the cannabis industry. It was highly possible that it was plotting how to hijack the whole process of licensing the industry.

Bennett mentioned that the country was from a time where it was dominated by renowned drug lords such as Ron Smith of the Tiger City fame.

He said many government officials, including police officers, benefitted from Smith. He said even bishops benefitted financially .

He told the MPs that Lisa Zikalala, who was once busted for drug trafficking in Thailand, had to be brought into the country to serve her sentence at the expense of ordinary Emaswati.

He hinted that Zikalala’s comeback would not benefit Emaswati because that meant she was supposed to be fed by Emaswati, who had little resources to do so.

He said Zikalala’s transfer into the country was facilitated by the wife to a former minister. The businessman pleaded with the MPs not to be bought by members of such syndicates because they would come knocking through their doors.

They would be looking for favours from the politicians so that their interests would not be disturbed.

Bennett said the problem here was that the heroin syndicate members would want to protect their market, which would be taken away by the cannabis industry. It was highly possible for this group to want to take over the cannabis industry in order to be able to protect their market, to which they supplied their heroin.

He further told the MPs that it was the colonialists that illegalised cannabis because they wanted to market their own harmful products like liquor and these other drugs. They demonised cannabis such that it was made to look like a harmful product because it was indigenous.

The former senator reminded the MPs that even His Majesty King Mswati III made a balanced comment when asked about this plant. He said the King said he heard that people went crazy when they had smoked cannabis. However, the King further called upon a scientific research to be undertaken to see if the plant could be useful or not.

He said what was done by the MPs was actually a call by the King.

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