That the politics of the governing party in Zimbabwe are repellent is common knowledge. Zanu-PF has perfected the art of rigging elections over well-nigh four decades and has not hesitated to resort to violent repression to remain in power. And the 2017 ouster of Robert Mugabe in a coup that those who staged it baptised a “military-assisted transition” did not result in any discernible change.

But I like the pace at which the Zimbabwe government is moving to establish a marijuana-based industry, a budding opportunity that many African countries seem to be ignoring. Only Lesotho has come out of the starting blocks, having already legislated for commercial marijuana cultivation for medicinal purposes. It hopes scores of international investors will be drawn to the country’s nascent marijuana industry and not only grow the stuff but also process it into pharmaceutical and nutritional products, as well as cosmetics. The job creation potential is immense and so too is the opportunity to earn much-needed foreign currency.

Zimbabwe is hot on the heels of Lesotho. It announced in April 2018 that it would be introducing new legislation that would allow the cultivation of marijuana. But T’s and C’s would apply: the weed would be grown for medicinal use and research purposes only.

Last month, barely eight months since the initial announcement, a senior official in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement told reporters in the resort town of Victoria Falls that 37 local and foreign companies had gained Cabinet approval to cultivate marijuana in the country. This number equates to only 18.5% of the 200 potential investors that had tossed their hats in the ring.

The authorities are now registering the selected companies so that they can get on with the business of growing marijuana and processing it into products that will be exported to overseas markets. Initially, the investors will be granted renewable 12-month licences. Before we know it, ‘Made in Zimbabwe’ marijuana products could be on sale in a host of countries that have legalised the use of marijuana products – the likes of the US, Canada, Argentina, Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands.

In a country with an unemployment rate of more than 90% and where foreign currency has become a scarce commodity, this is a move in the right direction.

In South Africa, following a Constitutional Court judgment delivered last year, one may now grow and consume marijuana in the privacy of one’s home. This is not the full Monty the Rastafarian community had hoped for. In wanting the South African authorities to do more in terms of legalising marijuana, this community and I are “together as one”, as Rasta man Lucky Dube sang many years ago. (Remember his 1990 number of the same name?) Where we differ is that, whereas they want the freedom to consume marijuana for religious purposes, I am an advocate of its cultivation and processing into valuable products, creating much-needed employment in the process.

Some may be unconvinced about the jobs argument for allowing commercial marijuana cultivation, but the numbers coming out of the US – where nine states have legalised its use – should be enough to sway the doubting Thomases. Job postings for that country’s marijuana industry increased by 445% in 2017, which was faster than the 254% posted by the tech industry and the healthcare industry’s 70%. According to a US-based financial-news magazine, 230 000 people were employed in the US marijuana industry in 2017 – more than the 201 000 dental hygienists who were registered in the country that year.

Total US consumer expenditure on mari- juana products in 2017 was $9-billion, but this is forecast to increase to $21-billion in two years. However, factoring in indirect elements such as transactions between marijuana companies and companies in industries like shipping, packaging, payroll processing, and so on, legalised marijuana is set to inject $40-billion into the US economy by 2021, adding up to 413 988 jobs.

Given these potential economic benefits, African countries should move fast to establish a marijuana industry.