‘We want action against drugs in the city,’ DA demands

MEMBERS of the DA marched to Kempton Park Police Station on Saturday to hand over a memorandum to the police, asking for a tougher stance against drug dealers and prostitution in the city.

“Many people, especally the youth, are finding it easy to access drugs in Kempton Park and surrounding areas,” Refiloe Nt’sekhe, DA national spokesperson and DA constituancy head Kempton Park/Tembisa, said in the memorandum.

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“Drug lords in Kempton Park continue to operate unabated. They are arrested and then released.”

In the memorandum, the DA called for:

Increase police visibility to curb drug related crimes.

Increase crime intelligence to ensure that drug dealers are arrested and convicted.

Raid all known and suspected drug vending places.

Improve detective services to ensure that those arrested do get convicted of dealing in drugs.

Speaking at the police station, Nt’sekhe said: “I stand before you as a mother of three small children and one of the leaders in this community. My biggest fear, like many other parents in Kempton, is having any of my children getting addicted to drugs. It is so easy to get drugs in Kempton Park.

“I also want to remind you that Kempton Park hosts OR Tambo Airport. This is the biggest airport on the continent. Kempton Park is also the first interface that international guests arriving in South Africa, see. If a guest gets lost and end up in our suburbs, they are confronted with drug pedlars and prostitutes waiting to do business.Surely as proud South Africans, this is not how we want South Africa to welcome our visitors.

“Those who do find rehabilitation return to the very communities where nothing has changed and the drugs are still available – therefore the chances of relapsing are very high.

“The point is, we need a police service and not a police force: servicing the people in this country.

“By marching here today, we have come with a request to the police of Kempton Park. We call for the return of the narcotics unit in the police; we call for visible policing in drug suspected hot spots around our schools; we call for the investigation of suspected drug dens, starting with the list brought to us by the public which we have attached to our memorandum; and finally, we call for the arrest of alleged drug dealers.

“We want to reclaim our streets and we will support the police who work towards getting rid of drugs on our streets.”