There is hope that a Claiming Back Our Streets campaign launched in Toekomsrus will help address the town’s drug and substance abuse issue since the area has been identified as one of those that urgently need intervention.
The campaign was presented by Soul City, the Department of Social Development, Keep it 100 and Women Against Women and Children Abuse (Wawa) at the Toekomsrus Town Hall on Friday, 7 April.
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Bongani Ndhlovu, Senior Manager: Media and Campaigns for the Soul City Institute for Social Justice said a social movement campaign was launched to intensify government’s response to addressing the problem of substance abuse in Gauteng.
Ndlovu explained, “The main strategy of the Anti-Substance Abuse campaign is to ensure that the Gauteng Provincial Government takes reasonable measures to combat substance abuse.”
Raylene Martin, chairperson of the Randfontein Local Drugs Action Committee (LDAC) led the event and introduced several guests.
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Portia Modise, a South African women’s footballer – named Player of the Championship at the 2006 Women’s African Football Championship, who also represented Banyana Banyana at the 2012 London Olympic Games – was one of the guests.
Kgomotso Phofa from the Department of Social Development then addressed the guests and her message was loud and clear: “Once a person is a recovered alcoholic or drug addict, the community and their family should make it easy for them to get back into society”.
Enrico Bhana, from Wawa, has devoted his life to keeping Toekies drug-free. He also assists abused women and children.
Ndlovu suggests the following interventions:
• Harm Reduction – which is aimed at provision of holistic treatment to services users and their families, and mitigating the social, psychological and health impact of substance abuse.
• Demand Reduction – which is aimed at discouraging the abuse of substances by members of the public.This will be done through prevention and awareness programmes.
• Supply reduction – which refers to efforts aimed at stopping the production and distribution of liquor, illicit substances and associated crimes through law-enforcement strategies as provided for in applicable laws.
The event was a huge success, and the residents and parties involved are positive that the future for Toekomsrus, and other areas where substance abuse is rife, will be brighter.
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