Legalising personal use of cannabis in Zimbabwe

LEX Africa member firm Scanlen & Holderness is challenging the current Zimbabwe laws that ban personal use of cannabis – that is, the criminalization of the possession, cultivation, use and consumption of cannabis. The case is being handled by Associate Tapiwa John Chivanga who is passionate about this issue and has been working at the […]
Algeria: New policy in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Article by Rym Loucif, Advocat at Algerian member Loucif & Co The Algerian pharmaceutical market is one of the main markets in the Middle East-Africa region with an average annual growth rate of nearly 8%. On 31 January 2022, the Minister for the Pharmaceutical Industry (the “MoPI”) issued several orders relating to the new specifications […]
The unconstitutional criminalisation of private cannabis use in Zimbabwe

Article by Tapiwa John Chivanga, Associate at Scanlen & Holderness, Zimbabwe. Introduction This is a commentary on the legality of cultivating, possessing, and using recreational cannabis in Zimbabwe, a drug otherwise colloquially referred to as weed, ganja, mbanje or โMary Janeโ.[1] The cultivation, possession and use of recreational cannabis is currently illegal in Zimbabwe […]
Africa needs a vaccine revolution

Only 1% of the vaccines used in Africa are manufactured on the continent. This dependency on the rest of the world has seen Africa relegated to the end of the queue for urgently needed Covid-19 jabs. How soon can this situation be fixed? On 21 June 2021 the World Health Organisation announced it had clinched […]
A legal perspective of Covid-19 in Mauritius

The Covid-19 pandemic has not only caused a serious concern to peopleโs health but has drastically changed our economic, social and business environments. Mauritius has imposed a total lockdown since 24 March with a view of ensuring the safety of the population and to prevent the spreading of the virus since the first three cases […]
Are employers obliged to pay employees salaries/wages during the national lock-down?
There is no doubt that the national lock-down announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 23 March 2020 has caused serious consternation to both employers and employees and chief amongst these are the financial difficulties caused for both employees and employers in various sectors. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused many employees to question whether or not […]
The effect of Covid-19 and business resilience
Companies worldwide are and will inevitably be affected in the short and medium-term by the coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19). Decline in commodity prices due to the falling demand in China, travel restrictions, city and provincial quarantines, confinement of people willingly or by force to their homes, and the reduced job mobility affect the trade of goods […]
COVID-19 and Performance of Contracts in Zambia: Key Considerations
The wake of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2), the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, has triggered widespread effects on many industries across the world. The pandemic has the potential to affect business transactions including the ability to create restrictions and limitations that could enable a party to a Zambian law contract […]
How will coronavirus affect Africa?
Maps illustrating how covid-19 raced across the globe show a pristine Africa, almost untouched by the disease in the early weeks of February 2020. Alarm bells should be ringing. The rapid spread of the coronavirus around the world strongly suggests itโs just a matter of time before Africa, too, falls ill. And, even if efforts […]
Laws in South Africa that protect HIV positive citizens
For about six million South Africans, living with HIV/Aids comes with the threat of unfair discrimination. An estimated six million South Africans are infected with HIV/Aids, today. Access to progressive treatment, fairness in the workplace and the right to privacy are all serious issues that have elicited strong debate in the past. As we celebrate […]