BOIPATONG.- 23-year-old Thabang Mzizi, who currently resides in Boipatong says he wants to ‘stop smoking his future away.’
Mzizi lives with eight other youths in a shack in Boipatong, where they all spend their days hustling for their next nyaope joint. The group includes his twin brother Thabo Mzizi, who recently moved to the Vaal Triangle, after spending most of his life in Parys in the Free State.
What sets Thabang apart from the rest is the fact that he collected his matric certificate just a few weeks ago and realises he could have pursued a diploma qualification.
Around this time last year, Thabang was a matriculant at Phehellang Secondary School and had his whole future ahead of him, until drugs started taking over his life.
Although he was able to pass his matric, Thabang says it was not an easy task as he was already a drug addict. “My drug addiction started due to hanging out with bad friends who gave me a taste of nyaope. I followed my twin brother here to smoke nyaope together. I feel like I am throwing my future away, I just want to be taken to rehab so that I can come back and pursue my studies.” Thabang says he would like to study teaching so that he can educate children about his past experiences and encourage them to stay away from drugs.
A Pensioner, Philimon Mvundla (64) took the boys in after he saw the kind of life they were living.
“I witnessed some of them sleeping in the veld and having nothing to eat, so I took them in. I want them to stop smoking nyaope and create something positive with their lives.
“I take care of these boys with my pension money; I buy them food and make sure that they do not commit any criminal activities under my watch. This will carry on until I get them into rehab.”
Mvundla says what he loves about the boys is that they all have one thing in common, which is the fact that they want to go to rehab and stop doing drugs.
