Drugs a scourge for South Africa

Despite warnings and arrest of South African drug mules in foreign countries, it still boggles the mind how couriers continue to take chances to transport narcotics across our borders when they know the risk of being caught.

Constable Angela Maluleke, who was arrested in Brazil recently allegedly in possession of six bricks of cocaine, is a classic case in point.

Maluleke’s arrest for such a serious crime taints the image of the South African Police Service and raises debate about the involvement of cops in the drug trade.

Since our borders were opened in 1994, South Africa has been flush with all sorts of drugs that have caused havoc in our communities.

As a young democracy and new entrant into the global family of nations South Africa was obviously a new market drug lords were all too eager to explore and exploit.

The proliferation of drugs is also linked to rogue police officers who are in the pockets of drug merchants. It is these bad apples who are enablers of drug lords and their trade.

Today the proliferation of drugs such as nyaope and woonga has become a deep-rooted economic and social scourge that has devastated families and communities.

The greedy are susceptible to be lured into the high life and promise of instant riches and fall into the trap as drug mules.

Today many South Africans who took the bait are languishing in prisons around the globe, while others have suffered worse punishment such as the death penalty.

In South Africa, the face of the drug courier is a young and naïve black woman who believes in the promise of quick riches they have not worked hard for.

In a political and economic environment where instant riches are possible due to corrupt practices, some of these young couriers choose to abandon the values of hard work and honesty and stupidly embrace a life of crime and the high rewards it falsely promises.

The punishment meted out to criminals who are caught in the act of trying to flood our country with such dangerous substance, should serve as a lesson to others that poverty is never an excuse to turn to crime.