Ben Dlamini passed away in January 2020
 

While at CIE, Ben’s research focused on his belief that Swaziland needed to develop more entrepreneurs to create businesses, especially in the rural areas.  His dissertation explored the use of Achievement Motivation training and recommended its inclusion in the curriculum, and its use to train existing business owners and employees. 

After finishing his degree, Ben returned to his home in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland).  There he served as the Director of the Examinations Council of Eswatini (ECESWA).

However, Dr. Ben, as he was called, became best known as a pioneer in the campaign to legalize cannabis, known locally as dagga.  In the 1980s he started advocating for the production and sale of dagga.  He was single minded in his belief that the drug had a healing effect on life.  He believed that local production and sale would have significant economic benefits.

In 2010 he applied to the High Court of Eswatini to legalize the use and trading of dagga. He argued that: "The major emphasis on cannabis in Swaziland has always been on smoking it and getting a 'high', but if we were to grow hemp commercially it would solve a lot of problems. It can be used to manufacture fuels, textiles, healthy oils and lotions,"

Over time he came to realize that: "People are getting the idea that hemp can be used for purposes other than smoking, but the process of understanding this is very slow."

He personally wanted to set up a national cannabis processing and managing company with the growers selling their produce to the company.  He lobbied to have laws that criminalized cannabis modified. He also wanted a 10-year license to grow dagga himself.  However, Parliament did not act to legalize the use or cultivation of cannabis in the country. [3-20]