DA: Gauteng’s convictions from drug-related arrests shocking

These staggering figures were revealed by Gauteng Community Safety MEC, Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane, in a response to written questions from the DA.

Of this, 15 350 arrests were linked to crimes committed in notoriously bad drug areas such as Eldorado Park, Hillbrow, Kliptown, Temba and Daveyton.

“This is a shocking 1.5 percent conviction rate over four years,” said DA spokesperson on Community Safety, Michele Clarke.

“While the drug scourge rages, only 65 people now sit behind bars for drug-related crimes committed against the people of this province.”

According to Clarke, Nkosi-Malobane indicated that the government was currently only implementing drug awareness programmes and random searches to combat the drug scourge.

“The victims of drug-related crimes, and those who live in fear of further such incidents know that these programmes are not working,” Clarke said.

Clarke supported the use of specialised drug units to police drug-related crime, however she claimed despite several attempts by the DA to have these units reinstated, the provincial government continued to delay taking serious action.

CEO of Anti Drug Alliance Quintin van Kerken said these statistics indicated that prohibition was not working anymore and this needed to be addressed.

“The way that government is dealing with drugs and the laws that govern it are not working,” Van Kerken said.

However, Clara Monnakgotla of the SA National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence said organisations, communities and the government needed to work together to find a solution to the country’s drug problem.

According to Monnakgotla, while the reduction of drug supply was the domain of law enforcement authorities, an integrated plan was needed.

The National Drug Masterplan provided a platform for organisations and communities to have their concerns escalated to and considered by those responsible for legislation as “they might not know what is happening on the ground”, she said.