WHEN whoonga craze hit the South Africa townships in 2010, Mandla (not his real name) from uMkhobose Reserve was hired as a ‘runner’ by a local dealer.
His job description was to distribute the drug to local merchants, and also to sell it to his peers on the streets.
‘I was already smoking dagga. I tested it just for fun, not knowing I would be hooked for such a long time.
‘My employer used to pay me with two R20 whoonga packets daily, and R350 cash weekly,’ says Mandla.
A year later he had saved enough money to start his own manufacturing business.
‘I rented a two room house and work begun. Business was booming; except I was also using my own product.’
‘Because I had been in the business for over a year, I knew exactly how it was done. I used things like anti-retroviral drugs, heroin and different types of prescribed medication.
‘Sometimes I would buy ready made packages and add my own ingredients to bulk it up,’ he said.
‘I had a friend who used to sell me his prescription medication in exchange for cash and two packets of the drug.
‘I lived like a rock star while the people around me were falling to pieces
ARV additions
Despite research and reports by professional experts who claimed ARVs were not part of the drug, Mandla insists it is a major ingredient.
‘Because of these ingredients, when you smoke it, it gives you a great high, but once it wears off in your system the trouble begins.
‘It’s not like craving cigarettes, it is actually painful. It’s not normal because you suffer from severe stomach cramps, which we call ‘aroster’.
‘When you suffer from these pains, you will do anything to get your next fix.
‘That’s why users always resort to crime and start mugging people. They just want to get rid of the pain…’
But his business came to a grinding halt when he was arrested in 2014 and served two years in prison.
‘When I was in prison and seeing other addicts, I realised what I was doing was wrong and that it was killing people.
‘All I want now is to have a straight job and maybe over time start my own organisation to educate youngsters about the dangers of drugs.’
What is whoonga?
Whoonga (also known as nyaope or wunga) is a street drug that has allegedly come into widespread use in South Africa since 2010, mostly in impoverished townships.
This deadly concoction is made up of various things like rat poison, soap powder, and the main ingredient, anti-retrovirals.
The mix is then rolled with weed and smoked.
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