‘Let’s walk a new life path,’ urge duo who broke the tik chokehold
Yonela Mpokotya and Sinelizwi Lumkwana were drug addicts for a decade.
But they have walked the long hard road of breaking the deadly addiction and are now “clean”.
Their battle is against the addictive craving for “tshufu”, which they said had “poisoned” local youth culture.
The two young men from Nkwanca squatter camp said they decided to quit after they became fathers.
Lumkwana was also inspired to quit his drug addiction after undergoing initiation.
“Every time I looked at this drug, I thought of the teachings I received while I was in initiation school and the teachings I received when I came back,” Lumkwana said.
The two then turned their energy into starting a fast food business to serve the community.
Mpokotya said: “We suffer so many things in our squatter camp such as a lack of safe electricity, clean water, and the abuse of alcohol and drugs.
“We designed our business to help our community as well.
“We want to cook for people who are unable to cook for their children. We are selling it at a low price.
“We want to be the outlet people use when they need to buy food for their children.”
They are also campaigning to persuade other addicts to take the drug-free road.
“We both used to smoke tik , also known as crystal meth.
“One day I told myself that tomorrow would be the day I started my clean life and I have not used since that day last year,” Mpokotya said.
He praised his grandmother who never gave up on him and urged him to break his addiction and turn his life around.
“I had a two-year fallout with my grandmother because of drugs. I thought I knew better than her,” Mpokotya said.
He and Lumkwana said they eventually realised that only they could take the step to quit.
Mpokotya said his journey was not as tough as
Lumkwana’s, who was dealing with mental issues and was going through a rough patch when he was using drugs.
He did not have as much support from others who believed he could quit.
Lumkwana said: “When I quit, I had to be brave to suffer for the greater good.
“I had always dreamed of being a role model to my peers and young ones. I did not like my life when I was using.”
The two young men encouraged others who wanted to quit drugs and alcohol and succeed in life to follow their example and to get help in starting their own businesses.