Nyaope victims demand a rehabilitation centre in Tembisa

On April 13 nyaope addicts stormed in at the 2019 Winter Awareness launch at Sethoga Park to make their demands heard by Ekurhuleni Municipality’s Community Safety MMC Clr Vivian Chauke.

Members of SAPS ordered the nyaope victims to wait outside the park’s premises until the MMC has time to see them.

Nyaope victims leader Kwanele Ntozini said the drug addicts never meant to disturb the event but they just wanted to hand over a memorandum of demands to Chauke.

“We came here as the youth of Ward 100 to cry and inform Chauke of our grievances we took to Germiston government offices.

“Our peers are getting destroyed by the nyaope drug and some of them are ready to quit but it is so difficult. We need encouragement and we need someone to show us how to quit.

“The city of Ekurhuleni is doing nothing for the nyaope victims in the area.

“There is mismanagement of government funds, there was supposed to be recreational centres but nothing is happening and instead they are calling us hooligans,” said Ntozini.

He said there must be business centres that will help rehabilitated addicts to start their own businesses but they are so disappointed at the City of Ekurhuleni’s silence on the matter of nyaope.

Nyaope victim Kgopotso Mtsweni said he once stopped using drugs but he later relapsed due to lack of employment or other things to do.

“Young people are unemployed and the harsh reality of that situation forces young people to resolve to abusing drugs.

“When the addicts stop using drugs and come back from rehabilitation centres there is nothing to keep them busy.

“This pushes young people to engage in crime and subsequently to substance abuse,” Mtsweni explained.

He added that nyaope addiction is a chronic disease because of the incessant addictive personality induced by nyaope which is what he learned from the rehab.

“I would love to tell my story as an addict to young people with regard to the dangers of drugs.

“I want to inspire more people through my life after rehabilitation and that is impossible if we do not have a rehab in Tembisa,” said Mtsweni.

Chauke eventually agreed to meet the nyaope victims whereby she received and signed for the memorandum.

Chauke promised to hand the memorandum over to the office of mayor Mzwandile Masina.