Cannabis activist Prophet Aldo Timbo and his wife, Empress Tulisa Timbo, of the Ethiopian African Black International Congress Church Salvation, also known as the fifth Kingdom of Christ, say the Rastafarian community has never fully experienced justice or the independence that many Namibians fought for.  

Timbo, who was arrested together with his wife on the 11 June 2021, claims the continued criminalisation of cannabis use violates the constitutional rights of Rastafarians, particularly their freedom to practise their religion. 

According to police reports, the couple were arrested for allegedly unlawfully dealing in a prohibited dependence-producing drug after authorities seized 2167.8 grams of cannabis, with an estimated street value of more than a N$100.000.

Speaking to NBC News, he said the Rastafarian community feels excluded from national decision-making processes and continues to face discrimination.

He recalled meeting the late President Hage Geingob at a conference, where discussions were held on inclusivity and the principle that no Namibian should be left behind.

He said during that engagement, Rastafarians raised concerns that their community is not recognised in the same way as other religious groups, particularly regarding the use and cultivation of cannabis for spiritual and medicinal purposes. 

Timbo argued that cannabis forms a central part of Rastafarian religious practice and is also used for self-medication against various chronic illnesses.

"We are still being oppressed within the free state of Namibia. We want our voices to be heard far and wide and would like to call upon all Namibians with cannabis cases. We don't want to deal with Mandrax, no cocaine, no crack cocaine; those are man-made. We don't deal with man-made; we deal strictly with nature. We're talking about the synthetic cannabis, the natural plant grown from a seed just like any other plant, so I don't understand whether the ground gets drugs. If the system, the law and the court point out to say that it is a harmful substance, it's not even a drug because no plant can contain drugs. It is a full molecule structure that is helping the human indoor cannabis system."

He maintained that preventing its use amounts to a violation of the community's constitutional rights.

He further called on the government to govern with equal rights for all religions, saying other faiths are allowed to practise their beliefs freely while Rastafarians continue to face arrests and prosecution.

"If a law contradicts the constitution, that means the law is illegal first of all to be implemented upon Namibian people, so my constitutional rights have been vastly violated."

He also questioned why substances such as alcohol and cigarettes, which he described as harmful, are legally permitted, while cannabis remains prohibited.  

The case involving Timbo and his wife has been postponed to later this year, with a new court date yet to be confirmed.