Dagga plantation found behind agriculture department offices

MOKOPANE – The police confiscated dagga plants to an estimated value of R10 000 behind the department of agriculture’s offices last Friday.  This was after the security company, Special Operations Solutions (SOS), discovered the dagga plantation growing in the department’s back yard.
“We were conducting a security check in the area when we came upon the plantation,” says Martin van Eck, response manager from SOS.” We then contacted the police.” Warrant officers Justice Molekwa and Rider Mohale accompanied members from SOS to the department where they confiscated the plants. The plants were in various stages of maturity.
Melida Makwaana, the Mokopane manager at the department’s offices told Northern News on Monday that she investigated the matter after being informed of it by the police’s visit. She also said the area the plantation was found on does not form part of the section the agriculture department are renting from the owner.
Makwaana says, however, that one of the department’s general workers uses the area to plant corn but denies any involvement in the planting of the dagga.
Makwaana claims the owner cleaned the yard earlier this year but believes the plants have sprouted again. She said she will get rid of the plants for good by hiring an expert to treat the yard with a chemical to prevent it from growing again. 
While the worker in question denied any knowledge of the dagga plants, the police gave him a stern warning and confiscated the plants to be destroyed.