There is an urgent need for two fully-functional rehabilitation centres with 100 beds each within Matjhabeng.
“Admission to these must be fully subsidised as the majority of our people are too poor to afford the expensive costs of rehabilitation,” says Clayton Wadrif, deputy convenor of the Civil Society Collective.
They are making a plea for urgent legal, psychosocial and socio-economic interventions within the most vulnerable communities affected by drug abuse.
Wadrif says social behaviour changes and awareness programmes must be rolled out more robustly within these communities.
The security and intelligence clusters also have a pivotal role to play as youths are dying, and families are being torn apart.
“According to Community Policy Forum (CPF) reports, almost 90% of all crimes are directly or indirectly drug-related. Yet the drug dealers, whether they be smalltime peddlers or big time manufacturers and suppliers, are living among us as if nothing is wrong. There is a real perception that security and intelligences are failing us.”
On 29 September they held a march from the Boitumelo Mall to the Vuyo Charles Stadium in Thabong.
“We were supposed to hand over a memorandum of demands (MOD) that was compiled by these communities. Yet the Department of Social Development (DSD) did not show up, although they had agreed to do so in writing as early as August,” says Wadrif.
“This was a big disappointment, and the communities again felt ignored. Many had come from afar.
“The MOD is a culmination of the devastating effects of an acute and alarming increase in chronic drug abuse within our communities over the past five years. This is especially so with the advent of Nyaope and crystal meth (or “tik”) in our communities over the same period.
“Today, we watch in horror how the onslaught of this is mercilessly destroying whole families and completely paralysing communities. We cannot keep ignoring the cries for help from destitute parents who have lost hope, coupled with the psychosocial trauma they painfully experience every single day because of this.”
He says almost all crimes committed are directly and indirectly drug-related, whether these crimes involve theft or abuse in all its forms.
This also has a knock-on effect on priority crimes like gender-based violence (GBV) and murder.
The proceeds from illegal drug sales have indeed proven to be a potent fuel to widespread corruption in both the police and the criminal justice system.
It also has a lasting negative impact on the overall health and educational status of vulnerable communities.
“We have a dire situation, including high teenage pregnancies and an alarmingly high level of school drop-outs. This is all as a result of the ever-increasing risky behaviour that is a direct consequence of drug abuse.”
He says the ultimate victims of this relentless cycle remain our communities, who buckle under the strain of a range of social ills that retard their ability to grow progressively. Children, youths, and the unemployed fall into the deadly pit of addiction.
“The MOD expresses the demands of our people. The no-show of the DSD was not well-received. But discussions are currently underway to find an amicable solution,” he says.
