I’m concerned that Kagiso hogs headline news for all the wrong reasons of late.
I was at a point of accusing Sowetan of reporting negatively about the township. But I have since realised that by accusing the newspaper, I’ll be passing the buck and shooting the messenger.
Is there nothing positive happening in Kagiso? Why does the area continue to make news for all the wrong reasons? Are there no community developers who are doing good and role models who are setting a good and positive example for the youth?
Last week, a self-confessed nyaope addict from Kagiso was reported on Sowetan pleading for help. The youth is tired of being high on drugs and doing bad things to feed his habit. He wants to turn over a new leaf and live a normal life. I hope he has been taken to the rehabilitation centre.
The Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane visited the youth and area on the same day the story was reported. Other young people also came forward and confessed to being hooked to nyaope. They too pleaded for help.
As I write this letter, I wonder where are they are now. Have they received the help they requested for? Or are they continuing to smoke the cheap but addictive drug? I hope their plea didnt fall on deaf ears.
The premier’s visit to the area exposed that nyaope is easily accessible and is sold for R30 in the street corners of Kagiso. Even young women are also smoking this drug. One woman confessed that she neglects her kid because of nyaope.
The youth in the area is hooked to nyaope because it is cheap and easily accessible. And as such, they have become a menace to society. They steal from their homes and neighbours to feed their drug habit. They are also a danger to themselves because they are destroying themselves physically and mentally.
Dealers sell the drug openly on the street corners. This shows that they are unafraid of the community. Instead, the opposite is true: the community is afraid of them. Why are we afraid of the minority that is intent on destroying our youth? We must stand up for what is right.
The fact that nyaope is unclassified creates a challenge for the law enforcement agency. Police are unable to apprehend dealers and smokers because of that. The sooner the drug is classified the better.
The Gauteng premier has shown leadership on this matter. But government alone cannot win the nyaope war. We should form a partnership with government to fight this demon that is busy destroying our youth.
* Letter published unedited — Editor.
