‘We must worry about where dagga comes from’

THE DEPUTY Minister of Arts and Culture, Maggie Sotyu, warned against the use of drugs during her back-toschool programme for social cohesion and moral regeneration at the !Xhunkwesa Combined School in Platfontein on Friday.

She advised pupils that drug abuse, smoking nyaope and committing crime, would destroy their futures, especially since the majority of their parents were unemployed.

“We must worry where and from whom pupils are buying dagga.”

Sotyu also urged for an investigation to be launched into the high number of drop-outs at the school.

“Out of 800 Grade 1 pupils, only 150 make it to Grade 12. We do not know what happened to those who are no longer there as no one has failed. As government we want to know what happened to those who fell out in Grades 8, 9 and 10.

“Children are not doing their parents a favour by attending classes. Pupils need to see themselves as someone - as a deputy minister, a president of a country, a police officer. No one wants to grow up to be a nobody.”

She added that it was unacceptable that a top performing pupil at a school was unable to further his education as his or her parents did not have the means to afford tertiary education.

“It cannot be that those who do well, cannot get help.”

Sotyu also spoke out against bullying and the sexual abuse of young girls.

She urged pupils to report any form of sexual offence.

“Bullying and drug abuse are crime for which pupils can be expelled.”

Sotyu encouraged matriculants to achieve a 100 percent pass rate this year.

“We have received some sponsors to donate 50 pairs of school shoes and sanitary towels to the school. Every pupil will receive gifts next year, if all the Grade 12s pass this year.”

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