VIDEO: City injects millions into drug and substance abuse crisis in Tshwane
Approximately R20.3 million was given to 12 NPOs in Tshwane to help the city fight drug and substance abuse.
The Tshwane metro has strengthened its fight against drug abuse, embarking on a partnership with 12 non-profit organisations (NPO).
The NPOs were on Monday given about R20.3 million at Tshwane House as part of the city’s fight against drug and substance abuse.
Tshwane health MMC Derrick Kissoonduth said the metro could not sit back and fold its arms while residents, more especially the youth, lost their lives to the growing problem of drug use.
Mayor Stevens Mokgalapa said the city has suffered enormously due to youth drug and substance abuse.
“The growing demand and supply resulting from drugs and substance abuse is a serious concern for Tshwane.”
Mokgalapa said the introduction of nyaope to the city had worsened the situation.
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“We have a serious problem with nyaope,” he said.
Mokgalapa said another hazard in the city and nationwide was “Bluetooth’’, a method of getting a high in which addicts who couldn’t afford to buy drugs injected themselves with the blood of the one who had just used drugs.
“Mushrooming drug hotspots in our townships and in our inner city is a serious social concern,” Mokgalapa said.
He said the city had a constitutional mandate to care for the vulnerable drug users and create a governable society for its residents.
He said with the partnerships of the NPOs, the city was in a better position to fight drugs and substance abuse in communities.
He said the NPOs utilised professionals such as auxiliary social workers who worked directly with community structures to fight drugs and substance abuse.
“The NPOs are better positioned to implement programmes at community level on behalf of the city.
“These partnerships enable the city to extend its reach to communities.”
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Mokgalapa pleaded with the 12 NPOs to put the interests of drug users first.
“The money should be used for the benefit of those (sufferers) and not the benefit of board members.”
However, Mokgalapa said he had no doubt in the city had chosen quality and credible organisations.
Mokgalapa said in a year’s time, he wanted to see progress from the 12 NPOs to see what had been done with their funded money.
Funded NPO Kopano Manyano God the Founder Centre for the Homeless spokesperson Tebogo Mpufane said as an organisation working in the CBD, they had established that there were not enough shelters in Pretoria.
“The main issue we have encountered within the city was that there were fewer shelters and transit shelters.”
He said drug and substance abusers needed shelters to stay in when they returned from rehabilitation centres.
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“Such shelters within the Pretoria CBD are very scarce,” said Mpufane adding that a halfway houses were needed to start after-care programmes in order to fully address the crisis of drugs and substance usage.
He said there were many drug dealers in the Pretoria CBD “and that is a challenge in itself”.
He said the sad part was that the youth were being targeted.
“Children at high and primary schools are being targeted through drug dealers lacing cookies and sweets with illicit drugs.”
He said his charity wanted to assist learner drug users.
Mpufane said the funds from the city would be used in their seven police trauma centres in Pretoria to assist the less fortunate people such as abuse and rape victims, HIV/Aids sufferers and the homeless.
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