Pretoria - The EFF in Tshwane will work with the South African National Council for Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (Sanca) to assist young people to kick the substance abuse habit.
The party’s regional chairperson, Obakeng Ramabodu, led members of his party to the Sanca facilities in Akasia, where they viewed the infrastructure and engaged the leadership on collaborative efforts to mitigate against substance abuse and addiction.
The party last month registered 500 young people in Pretoria CBD, who asked to be assisted to beat their addiction by means of rehabilitation.
This was part of the EFF’s Youth Month programme to assist young people struggling with addiction and get them back on their feet to the point that they could be active members of society who play a positive role in the economy.
Many young people are addicted to drugs like nyaope and rock, which cost them between R200 and R1 500 a day, depending on their level of addiction and usage. They told Pretoria News they were signing up because they were tired of just living for drugs.
Most of them were in their thirties and said they had been using for more than a decade. The majority did not have children, and those who did, left their children to be looked after by their relatives and remaining parents.
They earned their living by doing jobs in Pretoria like washing cars, cleaning wind-shields at traffic intersections, and selling fruit, vegetables and other things commuters would need regularly, like masks, umbrellas and phone chargers.
One user, who spends R1 000 daily on his severe addiction, admitted to committing crimes like theft out of vehicles, snatching people’s gadgets, and stealing easily removable car parts like headlights and truck batteries.
Ramabodu said: “These young people who came to us to admit they need help and want to change their lives and become who they used to be before addiction, or better.
“We came to Sanca because we want to help them and work together with the facility to get as many young people in a programme of recovery as possible. We had a fruitful engagement with the organisation and we saw what is it they need and we are going to assist them with things like toiletries, sanitary towels and the likes.
“We will work with this centre as well as those in Mamelodi, Bronkhorstspruit and Soshanguve. We are aware they also rely on funding and grants from organisations like the National Lottery, and the City of Tshwane also gives them something. We will also assist them raising funds,” he said.
Ramabodu said they planned to launch outreach programmes, starting in November with a workshop where they will bring young people together, irrespective of their political affiliation or interest in politics, just to create awareness about addition.
He said they were going to partner with public figures, celebrities and role models from Tshwane who would come and give talks and engage young people about the dangers of addiction, especially because they have gathered that some young people start using as young as 9.
The City of Tshwane on Tuesday launched a Local Drug Action Committee that will have a R31.7 million budget to fight substance abuse in Tshwane communities within the 2022/23 financial year.
Ramabodu welcomed this initiative as a reaction to the campaign they started last month.
He said he would be happy if the City could ensure that the money was used wisely to benefit young people in need of help and not criminals who could be looking to enrich themselves.
Pretoria News