Environmentalists have threatened to interdict the police minister unless he puts a stop to a Natal dagga-spraying operation, reports Eddie Koch
A COALITION of civic organisations yesterday threatened to interdict Police Minister Sydney Mufamadi unless his commissioner stops the narcotics bureau from spraying large areas of KwaZulu Natal with a dangerous herbicide designed to stamp out the province’s dagga industry.
“Police are using helicopters to spray some 200 000 hectares of the province with a herbicide called Round Up in order to kill dagga crops in the area.
“The problem is that the substance is highly toxic to humans and the police have no way of informing people in the area about the dangers,” says Chris Albertyn from the Environmental Justice Networking Forum.
The environmental pressure group claims indiscriminate spraying of the herbicide over rural settlements infringes the human rights of civilians in the area. Albertyn faxed Police Commissioner George Fivaz yesterday saying his organisation intended to apply for a supreme court interdict against the police minister unless the narcotics bureau stops the operation
The EJNF has been joined by Earthlife Africa, the Wildlife Society of Southern Africa, the South African National Civics Organisation and a range of rural development organisations.
“We wish to make it clear that in directing this demand to you we are not taking issue concerning the illegality of the cultivation of dagga,” says the letter to Fivaz.
“We view the matter in so serious a light that unless we receive an undertaking that the South African Narcotics Bureau will immediately desist from the aerial spraying of dagga with herbicides … we will apply to the Supreme Court for an urgent order to prevent the spraying which we view as hazardous.”
According to the Pesticide Action Network, an international organisation opposed to the use of dangerous agricultural chemicals, strict controls are required to prevent the ingredients of Round Up from damaging the health of people living in the area.
Crops must be left for a number of days after being exposed before they are harvested and livestock should not be allowed into the contaminated area. “There is no way the police can inform people about the dangers or implement these controls with this type of spraying,” says Albertyn.
A police spokesma said the matter had been handed to deputy commissioner general Zolisa Lavisa. “He will look into the complaint and issue a comment later.”