Former Alex drug addict urges Omherezi to ‘wake up’ to the dangers of drugs
A rehabilitated drug addict Tshepo Mohomane is on a mission to clean up the drug abuse epidemic in Alexandra but needs more volunteers to help him ensure those that have quit do not relapse.
A now-recovering drug addict has issued an impassioned plea to his former fellow users and others to wake up to the dangers of addiction and to seek rehabilitation before it’s too late.
Forty-three-year-old Tshepo Mohomane of Vuka Skhokho [wake up clever – in township lingo] which is an NPO that is on the frontline of the fight against drug abuse in Alexandra, made the call during an interview with Alex News at a drug awareness campaign organised by the City of Johannesburg’s Region E Libraries held recently outside the premises of the 4th Avenue Clinic.
Mohomane, who was an addict for several years, became one of the soup kitchen beneficiaries of Vuka Skhokho in 2018, and through the anti-drug abuse ministry work by Hella Ledwaba, the founder of Vuka Skhokho, he was eventually converted and decided to seek help to quit the habit.
“I was admitted into rehab in December 2020 and spent eight months undergoing the programme and when I finally came out in 2021, I never looked back, and I decided to join Vuka Skhokho to preach the gospel of anti-drug abuse and encourage many users out there to come clean.
“I must confess it wasn’t easy after years of being an addict and peddler, but I persevered and here I am today. I have been clean for almost two years and intend to stay clean forever,” Mohomane said.
When Mohomane was released from rehab, he went back straight to Vuka Skhokho and volunteered his services in the fight against drug abuse through awareness campaigns around the dangers of drug abuse.
“I have made it my duty and responsibility to go out there and seek ‘omherezi’ [name of drug abusers] to convince them to quit the habit and seek help so they too could one day be clean as I am and return to the community to become productive members of society once again.
Besides trying to get Omherezi drug-free, Mohomane also helps Omherezi who are school dropouts to go back to the classroom and those without IDs to get one. “So far,” he said, “I have saved a number of Omherezi to quit the habit, go back to school and obtain their IDs.”
His wish is to get more volunteers to help those that have quit the habit to continue to stay clean. “This is the hardest part of the job, ensuring that one stays clean after quitting,” he added. He now also gets calls from community members wanting help for their children.
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