FOLLOWING the recent incidents of pupils being involved in ‘pens down’ and ‘explosion’ school closing parties, KwaZulu-Natal police sent a stern warning to those who will be attending these parties that they must behave themselves and not get into trouble with the law.
Lt Col Thulani Zwane said police will be deployed in most hotspot areas and at beaches to make sure that those who use drugs and alcohol in public places will be arrested. In April this year, a number of parties were organised by the pupils and in some of these parties the youth were allegedly using drugs called ‘mercedes’ and ‘lacosta’, which resulted in deaths in KwaMashu and other areas.
Other pupils were admitted to hospitals for treatment after allegedly using these drugs. He said recently a man was arrested in the Pinetown area for selling these drugs to young people.
“Our children are precious and we want them to live in an environment that is safe where they will learn and grow. Drug-taking among young people can endanger their lives and future. We want schools to be safe so that our children can empower themselves with knowledge for their future. Schools and communities have a responsibility to educate children about the dangers of abusing drugs. We also encourage community to continue informing us of the presence of drug dealers,” he said.
Zwane appealed to the youth to behave themselves and urged them not to use drugs or alcohol.
“Police will be deployed in all recreation parks to monitor and ensure that no alcohol is used in those areas,” he said.
