Nomusa Phakathi’s calling is to fight substance abuse in Msukaligwa

Nomusa Phakathi’s name is synonymous with substance abuse prevention groups in the Gert Sibande District.

This social auxiliary worker has given her life to the fight against substance abuse by the township youth.

Born and bred in Enhlazatshe, she is a Gert Sibande District local at heart and has seen what drug and alcohol abuse can do to families.
She began her schooling at Siyeta Primary School, finishing her matric at Bantfwabetu Secondary School.

“I was raised by my grandparents and when they passed, I started living with my mother. So I know and saw the role a parent plays in a young girl or boy’s life. My calling has always been to help communities in whichever way I can, so I figured I should pursue a career in social work,” says Nomusa.

However, life had other plans, as she had no means to further her studies.

She moved to Ermelo and worked as a cashier for various supermarkets in town.
“I spent seven years as a cashier. It was hard and the money was little, but I persevered and through that I put myself through school at GS TVET College doing a computer qualification part time,” she says.

While she was furthering her studies, she saw vacant posts advertised at the Department of Social Development that required only Grade 12. She applied and was accepted.

She started working in Warburton, helping children with disabilities find schools suited to their particular needs.

“Parents in rural areas and even in townships are at a loss on how to handle their children with disabilities and would rather keep them at home, not knowing there are schools for them to learn and grow in their own special way,” Nomusa says.

She says this is when she knew she was making a difference in people’s lives and was encouraged by colleagues and friends to further her studies in order to be a qualified social worker.

A multilingual, she speaks all the Nguni languages fluently and has mastered basic sign language.
“I used to work with deaf children and it was amazing the way we used to communicate once I had learned basic sign language.”

Nomusa moved back to Ermelo and worked under a social worker, who worked in a substance abuse programme where they help people, especially the youth, with any substance addiction to seek help at centres where there are support groups and rehabilitation facilities to kick the habit.

This is when her passion to join the fight against substance abuse was ignited.

When her predecessor left, Nomusa took over in the Msukaligwa region and has not looked back since.

She is responsible for campaigns against substance abuse, educating about substance abuse and prevention of substance abuse.

Her selfless work has led her to be the secretary of the Msukaligwa Local Drug Action Committee where she continues to do her altruistic work.

The committee tackles the prevalence of illegal substances in Msukaligwa towns and townships, helping individuals and families in need of intervention regarding substance abuse and educating and arming members of the community with knowledge on how to battle the crisis.

She has many feathers in her cap, as she was selected as deputy secretary in the Mpumalanga Substance Abuse Forum by the MEC in the Department of Social Development, Ms Busi Shiba.

She has served in the forum since the beginning of this year and is still going strong.

Her success stories give her the will to persevere, as in this career she sees more bad than good.
“The worst thing that gets to me is when someone I have invested all my time and energy in relapses, but I tell myself I should do more and I will not give up,” Nomsa says.

A God-fearing Christian, she spends most of her time in church singing and worshipping.

She is a proud vocalist and is a deputy chair in the youth music committee at her church.

In spite of all the work she has done, she maintains it is not enough.
“It is just a tip of the iceberg. There are many families torn apart because of substance abuse, leading to much bigger problems of a lawlessness generation, so it is up to us to work together as a community to help these young men and women fight this killer.”

She continues to shine her light in many ways, as she is part of and monitoring a project called Kasi Development that plays a huge role in her battle to curb substance abuse in townships.

For free breaking and community news, visit our websites:

Ridge Times, Standerton Advertiser & Highvelder

Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.