POLOKWANE – When two social groups as diverse as Polokwane golfers and the local Red Devils Motorcycle Club unite for a common cause, it is a unique and extraordinary occasion.
This was the case at the Meteffect charity golf day on Saturday, when 110 golfers teed off to help fight the scourge of drug addiction in Polokwane.
Meteffect, a recovery centre for addiction, raised awareness among golfers, highlighting the problem of drug and alcohol abuse in and around Polokwane.
“I have an overwhelming feeling of unbelievable gratitude after today,” said, Meteffect director, Michele Dix-Peek.
Dix-Peek discussed the nature of drug and alcohol addiction and abuse and shared her insights on the current drug abuse problem in Polokwane.
“We see a lot of cat, cocaine, crystal meth and heroin addiction in the city,” said Dix-Peek.
She said Meteffect personnel spoke at schools, where they raised awareness of drug addiction.
“The centre offers in-house addiction treatment, half-way house facilities, recovery coaching, recovery counselling, trauma work and substance abuse detoxification among other services.
“This disease is fatal and addicts often end up in jail, mental institutions or dead. The problem is that a lot of these addicts want help, but cannot afford rehabilitation, which can be very expensive and that is where efforts like today’s golf day and other fundraising projects come in,” said Dix-Peek.
“We would like to thank everyone who participated today and thank each golfer, supporter and sponsor for giving addicts the opportunity to get better,” she said.
Goitsemang Moseki, the captain of Polokwane Golf Club, said: “we aim to give hope to the hopeless and to applaud everyone in the Meteffect programme for being brave and facing and confronting their addiction”.
Jeff de Beer, a member of Red Devils Motorcycle Club informed the golfers about the club’s initiative in the fight against drugs, Devils Against Drugs (DAD).
“If we can save one young life from addiction and substance abuse then we have won,” said De Beer.
The golf day, with Vodacom as the anchor sponsor, took place instead of the Meropa Casino golf day, which was Meropa’s contribution to the cause.
Thys de Kock, Barend Jacobs, Hein Snyman and Ferdie Ernest were the best golfers of the day with 108 points.
The competition was in a four ball alliance format with two scores to count.
Duane Viljoen, Andrew Galloway, Jacques de Jager and Phillip Kloppers won second place with 102 points, followed by Thabo Shingange, Jakes Jacobs, Yaya Aziz and Mohammed Dada in third place with 101 points on a count-out.
De Kock also won the nearest to the pin competition on the 11th hole, while Willie Opperman won the longest drive competition on the second hole.
Piet Fourie won the nearest to the marker competition on the sixth hole.
