Drug recovery proves change is possible despite system’s flaws

South Africa is going through a period where nothing is sacred – we are in a place and time where our morals are negotiable and it’s not a necessity for them to be upheld.

What is set as a standard and norm of public decency in our age and time seems to have its lines blurred… it is not set in stone.

I am a child of the ’80s, I grew up in a time where my mother was just that, my mother.

A time where I hardly saw my father laugh with me, but his love was never something I needed to question.

My childhood and even as an adult, my life was moulded by my parents and their guidance and leadership. Learning important norms and values that have been my anchor.

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Sometimes, when danger lurks in shadows, the bogeyman is all too familiar. When we grew up, we learnt of stranger danger and funny monkeys. We were taught to raise the alarm when the unfamiliar dared to come too close.

The unfortunate part to all of this is the evolution of the perpetrator – we are no longer in the time and area of stranger danger, the victim and victimiser alike, as rape, murder and assault are perpetrated by those close to us.

There are family members who were either raised with us, by us or we were raised by them. What has become of the family unit meant to be the very core of our society?

When a mother stands accused of being her child’s human trafficker, possibly to feed a drug addiction, questions must be asked.

Yet as we have seen the stark contrast between Kelly Smith of 2024 and the one who boldly asks for chocolates in 2025, we have to admit that drugs are slowly killing people.

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While others may argue that Smith is being well-fed through taxes while in prison, others acknowledge the change brought about by a possible clean and sober life from drugs. If one did not believe in recovery from dust, Smith is testament to it.

Does the South African jail system rehabilitate everyone who walks in and out its doors? No.

However, it would be short-sighted of us to not recognise the impact it would have if the corruption that poisons the system is rooted out.

If the drug supply within prisons was cut off and prisons were respected for the purpose of what they are intended for, lives could change and slowly but surely, those let out to live in communities would be less of a harm than what they were going in.

As to Smith’s innocence or guilt, time will tell, but her recovery from drugs cannot be ignored or denied.

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