A 53-year-old Emfuleni Local Municipality employee was last week arrested for selling cough medicine to school children in Vanderbijlpark.

It is said that the employee was arrested by the Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens, commonly known as the ‘Green Beans’ or ‘Panya Panyas’. The man was arrested at the Vanderbijlpark Library, and he was found in possession of a duffle bag full of cough syrup that he had apparently been selling to school-going children.

The children use cough syrup to mix it with fizzy drinks to make a drug that they drink, leaving them ‘high’. Not only is the drug intoxicating and dangerous, it has become the norm for children in the area.

Provincial police spokesperson Sergeant Gertrude Makhale confirmed the arrest and said that the suspect was charged under the Medicines and Related Substances Act 101 of 1965.

Action demanded

Meanwhile, one of the coalition parties in the ELM, The New Horizon Movement (NHM), has written to ELM municipal manager (MM) April Ntuli to request that he provides feedback on any action taken concerning the employee’s arrest.

NHM’s Mpho Khang said: “As a movement that believes in upholding the highest code of morals, we hereby formally demand that the municipality do the following: That the implicated employee be formally charged for their actions. That if the employee has not already been suspended pending investigation, immediate suspension measures be taken.”

Khang said that this step is crucial in ensuring a fair and thorough investigation into the matter.

“Given the seriousness of this situation and its potential to exacerbate the already fragile reputation of the municipality, we strongly urge Emfuleni Local Municipality to issue a comprehensive press statement. This statement should address the incident with utmost transparency, serving as a testament to the municipality’s unwavering dedication to tackling such matters with the utmost seriousness and responsibility.

“We hope that the MM understands the significance of maintaining the municipality’s reputation and restoring the community’s trust.”