Attention: Editors and Reporters
Monday, 3 November 2025

Today, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC/the Commission) released a report on the Rights of Rastafari. The release of this report takes place at the time when Rastafari people all of the world are commemorating the Transfiguration Day of Negus Ras Tafari – the anniversary of the crowning of Haile Selassie as Emperor of Ethiopia. This day, celebrated by Rasatafari globally on 2 November, is one of the faith’s holiest days.

The Rights of Rastafari Report is an outcome of numerous meetings, engagements, and a roundtable convened by the Commission with members of this community. Over years, the Commission had become deeply concerned with the continued marginalisation, discrimination, and criminalisation of
Rastafari communities in South Africa, despite constitutional rights afforded to them.

On 26 February 2025, the Commission convened its first Rights of Rastafari Roundtable (“Roundtable”). The Roundtable was precipitated by dialogues with Rastafari communities, which revealed countless instances of unlawful cannabis-related arrests, high unemployment rates due to systemic discrimination and criminal records stemming from historical cannabis-related convictions, school expulsion over children’s dreadlocks, and systematic exclusion from the rapidly growing cannabis industry. Members f the Rastafari community expressed the trauma of feeling unrecognised and unprotected under South Africa’s democratic dispensation, despite their uniquely African faith and the precolonial health and spiritual use of cannabis by various indigenous African communities.

A major advancement in upholding and protecting the rights of Rastafari people was the President’s signing of the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act 7 of 2024 (the Cannabis Act) on 28 May 2024. The Cannabis Act legalises the private possession, use, and cultivation of cannabis (dagga) by adults.

However, more than a year since the President’s assent, this crucial legislation is still not fully in operation, as its accompanying regulations are not yet in place. As a consequence of the delay, the SAHRC continuously receives complaints of harassment, raids and arrests by law enforcement for private possession, use and cultivation of cannabis. The Rastafari community, in particular, continues to experience alleged police brutality and harassment across South Africa, and in their homes, for using, cultivating and possessing cannabis for communal or private use. This, despite the decriminalisation of the private possession, use and cultivation of cannabis by adults since the handing down of the Constitutional Court judgment in Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development v Prince on 18 September 2018. On 23 August 2023, the SAPS National Commissioner issued a directive to all SAPS members reminding them that the private use, cultivation and possession of cannabis by an adult had become lawful as of 18 September 2018. The National Commissioner advised police officials against
arresting anyone on suspicion of a cannabis related offence, either at all or prior to liaising with prosecuting authorities. Despite these clear directive, unlawful arrests continue to be perpetrated by SAPS.

Participants of the Roundtable included representatives of the Rastafari Nation Council, as well as other Rastafari delegates representing seven orders of the faith and more than 26 Rastafari delegates from across South Africa. Other stakeholders included Chapter 9 institutions such as the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities, civil society organisations such as Fields of Green for ALL, experts in criminology and cultural rights, and government stakeholders, which included representatives from the South African Police Service, the National Prosecuting Authority, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, and the Department of Basic Education.

The Roundtable was livestreamed and watched widely across the country. After a full day of constructive panel discussions and contributions from participants posing questions from the floor, the Commission identified five core thematic areas emerging from the Roundtable, namely: i) unlawful arrests and police profiling, ii) regulatory development and public participation, iii) commercialisation and indigenous knowledge, iv) education and cultural inclusion, and v) land access and sacred spaces.

The published report contains details of these discussions as well as the next steps the Commission will be taking to protect and vindicate the rights of this historically vulnerable community.

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ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

For further information or inquiries, please contact Given Makhuvele on 072 197 7581 or gmakhuvele@sahrc.org.za

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