Residents march to end drug hotspots
Combination of tik, mandrax, dagga flooding the Langeberg region of WC
THE Langeberg Substance Abuse Action Group says Robertson, Bonnievale and McGregor currently have the highest increases in drug abuse, increasing by about 20% every year.
About 400 people and 30 civil rights organisations from around the Western Cape’s rural Langeberg region took to the streets to march against the spike in drug abuse in their areas on Friday.
Stacey Doorly-Jones of the Langeberg Substance Abuse Action Group said the use of tik had shown a steady increase in the Ashton area in particular.
“People are now starting to say enough is enough; they can’t take it anymore. The police gave us all the drug hotspot routes, so when we came in front of the house we shouted louder, and played our trumpets and drums louder to show them that we know who they are and we are fed-up,” said Doorly-Jones.
She said with growing gang activity in the Worcester area, it was becoming a transit to move drugs into neighbouring rural communities.
“There was also an increase in drug-related child home removals and deaths in McGregor this year.
“Safer Schools carried out a random drug test on 85 learners in Ashton CP Combined school last year, and of the 85 pupils, 79 tested positive for substance use. We are now working to establish muchneeded outpatient facilities in the region because access to professional accessible community outpatient treatment facilities is very limited.”
Drugs of choice appeared to be a combination of tik, dagga and mandrax, which is termed “TDM” in the communities, and the average age of users was 14 to 35 years old, said Doorly-Jones.
She added that there were also more school-going girls starting to use substances.
In what the SAPS believed to be one of the biggest drug hauls in the country, police in Villiersdorp, in the Overberg area, seized 253 boxes of cocaine and arrested three suspects in June.
The drugs were believed to be destined for the export market.
Doorly-Jones said the Municipality had the second highest incidence of drug-related crimes and the highest incidence of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
“The categories pertaining to drug-related crime and residential burglaries are the dominant crimes within Langeberg Municipality. Residential burglaries and drug-related crimes increased steadily from 2008/09 and 2010/11 respectively. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs peaked at 309 trending downwards to 165 in 2013/14 but picked up again to 1 717 in 2014/15,” said Doorly Jones.