Another drug overdose causes concern among residents

EDEN PARK – “There is a need for the community to come together to discuss and find a solution to fight the drug problem collectively and this must include all pastors and spiritual leaders of Eden Park and surrounding areas,” said councillor Robert Pienaar.

A group of leaders had this discussion while attending a scene in Terra Plane Street, Eden Park, where a 32-year-old man died of an alleged drug overdose.

The effect of drugs on the youth and more specifically learners who seem to be able to buy drugs at the school gates and through the fences, was a heated discussion topic. It has been reported to the MAIL that youngsters frequent a local high school’s main gate to sell drugs to the learners.

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Other ladies at the scene expressed their dismay with the local police and voiced their concerns about the lack of arrests being made when it comes to drug kingpins. According to these bystanders the drug lords are known to the police and members of the community, but they are never arrested because they use the unemployed youth to sell their goods.

It was also mentioned among the bystanders that some of the drug houses are like supermarkets with cars arriving in fours and fives at a time and youngsters entering the gates in a non-stop queue on a daily basis. It was further stressed that the drug lords drive around in their fancy cars and just collect money from their ‘connections’.

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In Eden Park alone, over a period of three years, about five young men have reportedly died of a drug overdose. Families are torn apart by sons who have turned abusive and violent due to substance abuse. Humble, quiet and respectful young men change overnight, becoming thieves and a problem in their once peaceful homes.

Fed up with an abusive son, a woman from Little Germiston, who does not want to be named, approached the MAIL to report her violent and abusive 20-year-old son.

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“He stopped attending school due to drugs. He stole and sold everything in my house.

“Now when I have nothing left, he beats me up for money to feed his habit. I am tired now and want to expose him to everyone,” said the tearful mother.

The MAIL spoke to Captain Vusi Mhlophe from Eden Park SAPS about the drug problem and he said that they are aware of it and do know most of the drug lords.

“We are aware that these drug lords are somehow informed about our house-to-house raids because when searching their homes, we never find anything. We know all the ‘big cats’. It is just a matter of wait and see,” he said.

In trying to get to the bottom of the story, the MAIL spoke to pastors who indicated that the way forward is to speak to the youth at every street bash especially the one in the big park between Petersen Road and Vauxhall Street which continues up to Easter weekend.