Legalise chamba, say Ma Blacks
Reggae outfit Black Missionaries have backed calls to legalise sale of chamba (Indian hemp or marijuana), saying those who are against the proposal lack adequate knowledge on the importance of the plant.
Last month, Ntchisi North Member of Parliament (MP) Boniface Kadzamira broke the silence on discussions about chamba, which were last debated in Parliament in 2000 when the then deputy minister of Agriculture Joe Manduwa championed the proposal.
Kadzamira observed that the country would benefit in terms of foreign exchange earnings by legalising the herb.
He said: “Mr Speaker Sir, an acre of [Indian] hemp produces more paper than wood pulp or tree. Apart from paper, you can produce, from hemp, fibre, fabric, soap, lighting oil, medicines, food oil and proteins for both humans and animals.”
Ma Blacks weighed in on the debate during a fundraising show at Key Lounge in Mzuzu on Friday night.
It was at 00.45am, during their trademark ‘Ganja Time’ where some patrons openly smoke chamba, that the group’s bass guitarist Ras Peter Amidu took the microphone to give his input on the debate.
“As you know, the ganja issue was talked about in Parliament. I support that. Ganja is not a drug. Ganja is a plant,” he said.
He then recited a line from Peter Tosh’s Legalise It and added: “This is roots time; ganja time. Don’t drink and drive. If you are drunk let the one who has smoked ganja drive.”
He, however, advised those who do not smoke chamba not to start if government, in future, decides to legalise the ‘weed.’
In an interview later, band leader Anjiru Fumulani said the Chileka-based outfit is in support of legalising the sale of chamba.
“Weed is an important plant. It has more than 10 uses too numerous to mention. But the important one is that it can be used to cure diseases such as asthma or cancer.
“So, those who argued for it in Parliament know these uses and that it would boost the economy of our country. Some people know this. But they choose not to face the reality,” said the soft spoken lead vocalist.
He said others mistakenly think that smoking chamba would be harmful to smokers.
“They don’t know that smoking weed gives intelligence. We are behind those who are advocating for the legalisation of the plant,” he said.
This could have been a perfect diversion from recent attacks on social media of the band’s perceived sub-standard four promotional songs off their Kuimba 10 album.
In Mzuzu, the air of expectation for the new songs was pregnant. The Key Lounge, now O’Seasons, was filled to capacity. Toza Matafale, Yanjanani Chumbu, Moda Fumulani and Fitzgelard Simfukwe curtain-raised the show.
By the time Anthony Makondetsa came on stage, the floor was already hot with the audience in a party mood, thanks to Moda’s earlier energetic performance.
Makondetsa lived up to his mantle as he never disappointed with his escalating performance.
When Makondetsa left the stage at 00.45am, Amidu called the hall to order for a ganja time break before Anjiru took over proceedings at 1.06am.
But the performances had to halt briefly for 10 minutes following a small technical hitch. That, however, did not dampen the mood for party.
With the help of Amidu on bass guitar, Takudziwani Chokani (lead guitar), Yanjanani Chumbu (vocals), Gift Thugo (keyboard), Chizondi Fumulani (keyboard) and Paul Chokani(drums), Anjiru dished almost 25 songs for over two hours.
But it was their new Tizingochedza that the audience kept on demanding for replays. To excite the audience that, possibly had the majority of Tumbuka-speaking people, Anjiru engaged them in the Northern Region’s dialect version of the song.
He left stage at 3.25am.
