THE police have vowed to leave no stone unturned until Seshego becomes a drug free area.
This was revealed after a man (37) was arrested for possession of dagga estimated to the value of R25 000 recently.
According to Seshego police spokesperson, WO Mothemane Malefo, the arrest was made after the police followed a lead from a resident of Seshego.
He said a luxury sedan was confiscated during the arrest.
Malefo said dagga use and dealing were rife in the area and several cases had been reported to the police.
“Dagga peddling is one of our crime concerns in the township and we vow to fight this challenge until the area is drug-free.
“We often arrest people for either selling dagga or possession. Some of these people have served jail terms while others were released on bail and their cases continue,” Malefo said.
Although Malefo confirmed the prevalence of dagga in Seshego, he could not confirm whether other substances like nyaope and related harder drugs were as prevalent as dagga in Seshego.
It would appear that buying dagga in Seshego is possibly easier than buying sugar at a retail store.
Concerned members of the community said dagga dealers are easily accessible and can be found just about everywhere; at street corners, malls, taverns, households and at the back of supermarkets.
A Seshego resident who wished to remain anonymous said fruit and vegetable stalls were run all over the township as a cover up for the core business, dagga deals.
Polokwane police spokesperson, WO Lesiba Ramoshaba, said the police were aware that there were people who sold dagga in Polokwane.
“Sometimes we successfully arrest them, but they often get away after paying bail at the magistrate’s court. We want to assure the public that we will not stop fighting this challenge,” he said.
He said sometimes during police operations, these dagga dealers quickly identified police officials and hid their dagga.
“It therefore becomes impossible for us to arrest them if they are not in possession of dagga,” he said.
Besides the surge of dagga use and sales in Seshego and Polokwane, this illegal drug is also a serious concern in the neighbouring villages of Blood River, Mmotong, Biko Park and Makgofe, which have become notorious crime hotspots.
Anti-crime activist, Titus Mocheke lamented the popularity of dagga use and the sudden influx of dagga peddlers in the vicinity.
“Dagga has become a thorny issue in our community.
“It is sad that youngsters are so overwhelmed by the popularity of this substance.
“Most of them are bunking school as they band together in smoking groups during learning hours.
“Some of them are involved in criminal activities in order to finance their cravings too. It is a sad situation that would require maximum commitment from the community at large to cooperate with the police,” said Mocheke.
