Foreigners arrested for drug dealing in Ballito Village

The arrest of several alleged drug dealers in Ballito Village has temporarily slowed down activity in the area, but stakeholders are concerned the problem has become too large to fix.

Three weeks ago, an operation led by Umhlali Saps saw the arrest of five foreign nationals, allegedly some of the main players in Ballito’s drug dealing syndicate.

Drugs have long been an issue in the village, with businesses complaining about the brazen approach from dealers and runners to their patrons.

Co-owner of Concha Café and the adjoining Conchilla, Diogo Barendse, said his establishments experienced daily problems with dealers.

“Between us and Good Vibes, we have been forced to spend hundreds of thousands of rands on private security to keep them out. We have incredibly strict, no-tolerance rules to stamp it out, but we have no control over what happens on the street,” said Barendse.

“People simply assume because we are open at night that we are complicit, but all we want is to get drugs out of our town,” he said.

Umhlali Saps spokesperson, Captain Vinny Pillay, said dealers were like the mythical hydra – where when one head was cut off, another two emerged.

“We hold regular operations in the village, but most of the time it is difficult to prosecute those we pick up. If we suspect someone is dealing, then we pick them up, but they almost never have drugs on them,” said Pillay.

Dealers will stash drugs nearby, only going back once an order has been placed, meaning those collared by cops get bail and are released.

Saps have had to turn to other methods to curb the issue, arresting the five alleged dealers – who are Congolese nationals – on illegal immigration charges.

They remain in custody and will be deported unless the correct papers can be produced.

But while this is a positive step, stakeholders remain convinced that there will soon be someone to take their place, so long as the market exists.

“Like everywhere, Ballito’s regular drug users have their regular dealers. The dealers on the streets are there for people who use only when going out or during the influx of holidaymakers,” said Against Drugs and Child Abuse founder, Rex Hunt.

“Many of the drugs are cut with other substances to meet high demand, making those bought on the street even more dangerous than usual,” he said.

Since full-time monitoring from Saps is not viable, the issue needs to be tackled from another angle.

“We have to educate people about what to look for and how to explain the dangers to their children. We need real buy-in and support from all involved to make a dent here,” said Hunt.

For now, Saps have extra officers in town over the festive season, but larger programmes will need to be started should any real difference be made.

To see the kind of programmes that Hunt is talking about, visit adca.co.za.

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