“Today’s drugs are no longer just drugs; they are demons… The problem with drugs is that they require maintenance.”

These remarks were made by Sylvester ‘Mavesta’ Mofokeng, a well-known South African former prison escapee and ex-convict who has gained significant public attention through his stories of life in crime, imprisonment, and subsequent redemption.

Mavesta addressed local children, particularly the Mayibuye teens, on April 1 during the Inspiring the Next Gen Programme, a school holiday initiative hosted by the Mayibuye Youth Activism Movement, at Maphutha Secondary School.

The three-day outreach programme began on March 30 and attracted about 100 teens aged 13 to 23, featuring dialogues with various stakeholders such as the Kings of Indoda, social development representatives, and Friends for Life.

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Day three saw guest speakers, including Mavesta and Bongani ‘Mr Speaker’ Mthembu, deliver heartfelt keynote addresses on the dangers of drugs, crime, and peer pressure.

Mavesta spoke candidly about his painful journey through addiction, crime, and imprisonment. He shared that drug use often began with curiosity and imitation, but it could quickly spiral into destruction.

“For me, it started when I was still young, wanting to fit in,” he told the crowd. “You see older people smoking, and you think it’s cool. That’s how it begins.”

He detailed how his early experimentation with cigarettes escalated into years of substance abuse, including dagga, mandrax, heroin, and nyaope. “I was a boss of drugs. I started smoking at a very young age. By nine, I was smoking cigarettes; by 11, I was using dagga; by 15, I was smoking mandrax.

“The problem with drugs is that they require maintenance. You start by stealing from home, then from your parents, and eventually steal from the community. You become a criminal at a young age.

Unfortunately, when I was still in school, protests in South Africa led to school closures, and I ended up befriending the wrong people and using drugs. By 18, I was in prison.”

He added that drugs controlled him to the extent that he committed crimes to maintain his habit, which included hijacking vehicles and even killing people. By the age of 20, I was serving a life sentence in maximum security at Leeuwkop. So, you can imagine what I went through inside.” Now out on parole, Mavesta uses his story to warn others against repeating his mistakes.

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Thapelo Nkoane, the movement’s secretary, emphasised that such programmes provided young people with a safe and meaningful space during school holidays while equipping them with guidance and motivation to make better decisions.

“Our community has faced tragedies in the past two months, including the suicides of two teenage girls.

We are also witnessing ongoing issues with substance abuse and bullying, driven by gangsterism, affecting many young people. By gathering them, we aim to establish a foundation to address these community issues,” Nkoane explained.

The programme was well-executed, and the level of participation was impressive.

However, Nkoane added that they would measure their success by monitoring participants’ behaviour and tracking a reduction in reported complaints related to bullying and alcohol and substance abuse within the community.

Participants were handed attendance certificates, and gratitude was given to the stakeholders as well as Maphutha Secondary School for the well-executed event.

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