Drugs among the youth are a serious concern for the Boksburg police.
To help young people kick the habit, the Boksburg police, in partnership with Sanca Eastern Gauteng and the Department of Social Development, held an anti-substance abuse campaign at the Ekurhuleni West Campus (EWC) in Plantation recently.
Pastor Dumisani Dube, who was the guest speaker and former drug user, overcame addition when he found God. He is also founder of Awakening Ministries, an NPO that creates awareness around the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.
Dube said he started using drugs as a teenager while he was still at high school. He described drugs as an enemy which destroys families, communities and the nation as a whole, thus warned the learners to avoid falling into the enemy’s trap, if they want to reach their goals.
“I grew up without parents. I don’t know my parents, and I was told that my mother dumped me in a sewage drain when I was about two months old. My father died when I was seven.
“So growing up without parents and all the suffering inflicted on me as a child resulted in me losing hope.
“I grew up feeling useless, hopeless, homeless, loveless, feeling depressed, oppressed and suppressed and everything else you can think of. I suffered from low self-esteem and I had a lot of anger inside of me,” said Dube.
- Wrong friends
Dube revealed that one of the main reasons why he fell into the enemy’s trap was befriending wrong people.
“It is really important to choose and surround yourself with the right people because those are the people who have a major influence on how you think and behave.
“I picked the wrong friends and as a result, I became a member of criminal gangs who introduced me to smoking and criminal activities, including robberies and breaking into people’s homes to steal valuable goods. It all started with smoking cigarettes and from there I upgraded to dagga, then Mandrax and cocaine,” said Dube.
Everything changed after he attempted to take his own life about 25 years ago, and said he has not touched drugs ever since.
“While on drugs, I was the number one liar. Teachers and community members couldn’t trust a word I said and I was shunned by everyone.
“Consequently, I realised that my future was doomed. When I checked on all the people I went to primary and high school with, they were already university graduates while others had good jobs and living successful lives. It felt like I had no purpose in life and I then tried to kill myself.”
It was that time when Dube discovered God who he said helped him to turn his back on drug addiction and change his life for the better.
- Understanding addiction
He believes his years of addiction and fight for recovery helps him to understand addicts on a deeper level, provide them with the right information about the dangers of drugs and help them quit the habit.
“My life was saved and I was able to find an organisation where I draw on my own experience to try to help others to quit. I visit schools and other youth centres to speak to young people about the dangers of taking drugs,” said Dube.
Those who want to invite Dube to give a talk on drugs, schools in particular, may give him a call on 074 351 5395.
Sanca’s Lebohang Motsoeneng spoke about their rehabilitation centre in the Boksburg CBD, saying its doors are always open to people who seek help to quit their habit.
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