JUSTICE and Constitutional Development minister, Jeff Radebe and Health minister, Aaron Motsoaledi this week signed the amendment of the Act to cover chemically modified drugs such as whoonga. It’s hoped the amendments, which was signed on March 28, to the Drugs and Trafficking Act, will be a game changer in the fight against drug abuse.

In recent years the drug has become the scourge of townships around South Africa destroying whole communities due to its highly addictive nature.

The amendment would mean that if found using, or in possession of whoonga (whunga or nyaope), the person may be prosecuted, facing up to 15 years in prison or a fine determined by the court. The penalty for dealing could be 25 years in prison, a fine or both.

The powder-like substance is a mixture of rat poison, heroin and anti-retroviral medications, among others. The economic and social problems created by the drug are significant, and the legal amendment was crucial, as addicts often became involved in crime and prostitution in order to get their next hit.

Last year, the Gauteng Department of Social Development called for the criminalisation of nyaope and convened a conference, as it felt that the non-classification of nyaope as an illegal drug was undermining efforts to fight the war against drugs.