The Path To A Quick Fix

After a long trek, he stops at a black gate. Instead of knocking he whistles. At the third whistle, a hand emerges from a hole in the iron- gate with the palm extended. In low tones Jacques says the owner of the hand that he has only P10. The hand is withdrawn as the person demands P15. He or she bids Jacques goodbye and walks off. The following morning Jacques was back with the required amount and the extended hand gets the money after the whistling ritual. The hand goes back and moments later, it emerges holding a wrapped khaki paper tied in the middle with a black rope.

The transaction is complete. The dagga peddler is a middle-aged woman with a headscarf covering her eyes. Her residence is among clusters of unpainted Self-Help Housing Agency (SHHA) houses near the Francistown High Court.