It is reported that a group of people protesting against the legalisation of dagga outside the dagga trial in Tshwane, have been paid to protest.
It is alleged that the Gauteng Department of Social Development is behind the payments of these protests.
Nandi Mayathula-Khoza, Gauteng MEC for Social Development says the people who protested outside the court premises in Tshwane are from the Local Drug Committee and they are indeed against the legalisation of dagga.
She says some of the protestors are family members of young people who are in their rehabilitation facilities trying to kick the Nyaope addiction.
Nyaope is a concoction of different drug including dagga.
Mayathula-Khoza denied paying the protestors to go and protest.
They decided on their own to protest and we are supporting the protest because it is the right thing to do.
— Nandi Mayathula-Khoza, Gauteng MEC for Social Development
We as the Gauteng Social Development we are also against the legalisation of dagga because we have seen how it destroys families and individuals.
— Nandi Mayathula-Khoza, Gauteng MEC for Social Development
We spend a lot of money on these NPOs that we fund helping the people who are abusing drugs - a total of R258 million every year.
— Nandi Mayathula-Khoza, Gauteng MEC for Social Development
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