Dagga Party
isiXhosa nameIqela Lentsango
LeaderJeremy Acton
FoundedFebruary 2009 (2009-02)
IdeologyCannabis legalisation
Website
daggaparty.org.za

Dagga Party, formally known as Iqela Lentsango: The Dagga Party of South Africa, is a South African political party founded in 2009 by Jeremy Acton, who remains the party's leader. "Dagga" is a South African colloquial term for cannabis, the legalisation of which forms the core of the party's platform.[1] The Dagga Party was established to allow voters who support the legalisation of dagga to have representation in elections.[2]

The party failed to register with the Independent Electoral Commission in order to contest the 2014[3] and the 2019 South African general election because it could not raise the required R200,000 registration fee.[4][5] However, the party entered into an alliance with African Democratic Change for 2019.[6]

The party's position is that cannabis users should have the same rights as people who use tobacco and alcohol.[7]

Some members of the party were responsible for bringing the case before a South African court which resulted in the partial decriminalisation of dagga in South Africa in 2018.[8]

References

  1. ^ Glynnis Underhill (10 May 2013). "Dagga Party: Eight joints a day for Cape politician". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
  2. ^ Mitchley, Alex. "Dagga Party's election hopes up in smoke". The Citizen. Archived from the original on 26 March 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  3. ^ Sithole, Sthembiso (26 March 2014). "Many minor parties won't make it to Parliament: Analyst". SABC.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ Davis, Gaye. "Dagga Party misses election deadline". Eyewitness News. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  5. ^ Dagga Boer. "The Dagga Party of South Africa –. – IQELA LENTSANGO: The Dagga Party of South Africa". Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  6. ^ "Dagga Party joins forces with African Democratic Change in bid for 2019 election". CapeTalk. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  7. ^ Collins, Farren. "People jailed for dagga should be released' court hears". Times LIVE. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  8. ^ Hendricks, Ashraf (6 May 2017). "We want the right to carry cannabis in our pockets like a person can carry cigarettes". Ground Up. Retrieved 7 May 2017.

External links

Political parties in South Africa
Categories