The nyaope (whoonga) craze that has swept across crime- and poverty-riddled communities in South Africa where the harsh realities of unemployment are commonplace.
Its status as a cheap drug made from a cocktail of marijuana, heroin, antiretroviral drugs, rat poison and acid (LSD), received a facelift when users pioneered a new, and ‘more efficient’ way of getting doses of the dangerous drug into the bloodstream. And although numerous users can be found in recreational parks, sidewalks and even residential and commercial areas, however, most users prefer the confines of abandoned buildings to carry out their nyaope rituals.
On a detour to the inner city, City Buzz encountered a user along Nugget Street, in the vicinity of End Street Mall, who presented an astonishingly contrasting side to how nyaope addicts are perceived. And it is in conversation with Xolani Mabanga (24), a destitute nyaope abuser since 2013, that we looked to unravel the mysteries of the injection method. We observed that he had little to no inhibitions as he took his fix in broad daylight, in full view of passersby along the pavement.
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Undeterred, Mabanga gave insight into his journey as a user and the modus operandi he resorts to for consuming the illicit drug. “I started taking nyaope after [surviving a gun attack] by rival drug dealers,” Mabanga stated, giving an account of what he claims was the catalyst for his drug addiction whilst residing in Heidelberg at the foot of the Suikerbosrand next to the N3 highway in Gauteng.
“That’s when I fled to Joburg and began scavenging to get by, but luckily I met a man visiting South Africa from the States who was linked to a Christian organisation in Balfour Park. He admitted me into rehab with the organisation for a period of three months.”
However, Mabanga’s newfound hope was short-lived in that, as he explained, “My sponsor up and left due to obligations back home in America,” which, according to the diminutive user, set the wheels in motion for a relapse.
“Since that disappoint[ment], I use whoonga to remedy my ‘down’ by way of injecting it into my neck. I was dealt a hard blow by my sponsor’s departure [because] my hopes of going back to school and completing my studies were dashed,” he said.
“I would love nothing more than to quit this dangerous substance. But also, I understand the sacrifices I need to make in order to quit, eventually. I take nyaope in smaller quantities now than what I used to as a means towards getting clean once more. It’s especially when I’m experiencing cravings and stomach cramps that I take it in more substantial doses.
“I have dreams of one day starting an organisation, similar to Narcotics Anonymous, that will help eradicate [the scourge of] nyaope and rehabilitate addicts in order to give them another chance at life.”
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