Govt’s ‘silence and failure’ to deal with drug trade called into question

Civil Rights Movement, Put South Africa First, has slammed government’s silence and failure to eradicate drug trafficking in the country.

The movement says government’s inaction leaves one to wonder whether high-ranking officials are not involved with drug lords who run the streets in local communities.

Put South Africa First’s remarks come as yet another host of the drug-busting show, ‘Sizok’thola‘ on Moja Love, Xolani Maphanga has found himself on the wrong side of the law – bringing back to the fore the issue of drugs that are ravaging South African communities.

Maphanga and a member of his investigating team, owner of Tshenolo private Investigation company, Bongani Mkhabela, face three counts of attempted murder and trespass.

They allegedly assaulted a woman with a sjambok and chocked her with taser and suffocated her brother, while filming the drug-busting show.

Maphanga’s predecessor, Xolani Khumalo, is also embroiled in a criminal case for allegedly killing a suspected drug dealer during a recording of the show.

Put South Africa First’s Faith Mabusela says it seems as though the TV programme is pushing the wrong buttons, hence the consistent issues.

Drug usage in South Africa is estimated to be at twice the world norm, with over 15% of the country’s population living with a drug problem.

Policy consultant at TB HIV Care and a researcher at the University of Pretoria, Shaun Shelly, has done extensive research on the scourge over the past 20 years.

Shelly says South Africa’s prohibitionist and punitive response to people who cultivate, sell and use drugs has failed to reduce the substance’s supply, demand and trade.

He says, based on his research, sensationalist programmes to deal with the scourge are not helpful.

“These programmes capitalise on people’s frustrations, encouraging action, and labelling people who use drugs as criminals, further pushing the negative narrative about them, lead to society ostracising them,” he adds.

According to the academic, the sale of drugs is often the only economic opportunity for some people and the demand is created by inequity, lack of hope, psycho-social dislocation, and the absolute failure by government to shake the generational trauma and economic inequity caused by colonialism – in all its forms.

And while some believe that drug dealers in impoverished communities make the most money, Shelly says, the real drug money is found in hotels of Sandton among the likes of the late convicted drug dealer, Glen Agliotti.

Agliotti was instrumental in the 2010 conviction of former police boss, Jackie Selebi, on corruption charges.