KwaDukuza cops march against whoonga

A teenager suspected of selling whoonga was pulled off the pavement by a security guard, handed over to police officers and arrested during the march from KwaDukuza police station to Blythedale Beach against the use of whoonga.

The streets of KwaDukuza were brought to a standstill last Wednesday, December 9 as police officers and residents marched roughly 10 kilometres against this highly addictive drug.

Whoonga, which is also known as ‘nyaope’ or ‘wunga’ is a street drug made of a mix of cannabis, heroin or methamphetamine, depending on what is available, and is widely used in impoverished areas throughout the North Coast.

The drug is well-known for its heavily intoxicating effect, which puts users in a trance-like state that can trigger hallucinations.

The severe health effects linked to the use of whoonga and its widespread availability is why KwaDukuza police took a public stand against the drug, said KwaDukuza SAPS wellness practitioner and psychologist, Captain Cecilia Vilane.

“We are doing this march to Blythedale to let the community know that we, the police, care about the community and that we want to remove all social ills from our society,” said Vilane, who added that the walk also sought to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS, as well as domestic violence.

Singing and chanting through every intersection, the group drew a lot of public attention as they made their way through the town, especially since many were dressed as ‘hobos’ in line with the event’s theme.

With one marcher calling out “amandla!”, the rest of the group would shout “awethu!” in response as they carried banners behind a procession of police cars and ambulances sounding their sirens for all to hear.

“We have got to work together if we are to fix some of the many problems in our society and campaigning as we are now is an important step in achieving that,” said Vilane, who added that awareness surrounding the issue of drugs and gender-based violence must continue to improve if positive changes are to take effect.

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