The three accused in the recent discovery of a 1.5-hectare dagga plantation at a farm near Okahandja are set to appear in court on Thursday for the bail hearing.

Okahandja residents are not taking the matter lightly and have handed over a petition to the Okahandja Magistrate, requesting that no bail be granted to the accused due to the seriousness of the allegations.

The accused, Armand Schultz, a 29-year-old South African citizen, and two locals, David Strauss Van der Linden, aged 42, and Johannes Kamati, aged 61, were arrested in a drug bust valued at over N$50 million in the Eendrag Hochfeld area.

The trio is currently being held in the Windhoek Correctional Facility.

Okahandja residents, led by community activists |Gerub Gaseb and Jane Lauesie, approached the Magistrate's Court, where they handed over a petition with more than 3,000 signatures citing the seriousness of the case and danger to the nation.

"The drugs were allegedly distributed to Windhoek, Okahandja, and their surrounding communities, targeting urban areas where young people and vulnerable populations are at heightened risk. Allowing the accused back into society poses an unacceptable danger."

Other concerns raised are the potential of a flight risk given that one of the accused is a South African national, as well as interference with ongoing investigations.

Granting them bail, the community says, sends a wrong message about how the country handles organised crime.

The petition was received by State Prosecutor Maggy Shiyagaya-Lotto on behalf of the Okahandja Magistrate.

A community activist will represent the community in court.