Johannesburg - It is a far-reaching plan of action set in motion by the plea of a group of desperate mothers.
Two weeks after President Zuma said he had read the letter written by several women that described Eldorado Park’s drug epidemic, Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane returned to the suburb with a plan to save the community from drugs.
Speaking at Mount Carmel Ministries in Eldorado Park Ext 5 on Wednesday, Mokonyane unveiled the plan, which will include the possible introduction of fast-track special drugs courts and impromptu drug searches at schools.
The special courts were first used during the 2010 World Cup.
The plan, she explained, would involve several government departments and a technical task team, and would take several months to implement.
There will also be a programme to ensure that schools become safe havens.
“This will be done by regular inspection of vendors outside and inside school premises, impromptu drug searches, and deploying patrollers in schools and at strategic points,” said Mokonyane.
She said the plan was based on two strategies: the first a drug master plan aimed at reducing demand, harm and supply; the second arm of the plan is a Gauteng provincial anti-substance abuse strategy that will focus on prevention and treatment.
Demand reduction would be done through awareness projects that would include door-to-door campaigns and getting pupils to visit prisons.
The plan includes increasing funding of treatment centres for both in- and out-patients, including setting up a seven-day detoxification programme at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital.
“We apologise to those who will be affected by these inconveniences,” the premier said.
Last week, Mokonyane visited Eldorado Park with President Jacob Zuma and several cabinet ministers, MECs and high-ranking police officials.
The president promised the community that he would take personal responsibility of the programme in a bid to solve the drug problem. He also tasked the government to come up with a plan of action within a couple of days.
In the week since Zuma’s visit, Mokonyane said there had been a number of police successes in the area: 116 arrests were made, including 43 for drug-related crimes.
“The drugs confiscated consisted of cat, mandrax, cocaine, rock and nyaope,” she said.
“The teams visited and closed 20 lolly lounges.”
Four children, including an eight-year-old boy, were rescued from lolly lounges and taken to a place of safety.
A team of metro police will also be tasked with enforcing by-laws and identifying hijacked and derelict buildings.
“We will be using some of our buildings for rehabilitation,” said Mokonyane.
The plan also calls for increasing the number of detox facilities and an adopt-a-cop programme in schools, so that police can build better relationships with pupils.
The Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation has also been tasked with developing programmes that will foster youth development, while businesses will be encouraged to invest in the area.
The plan also calls for greater co-operation with the community through churches and other civic organisations.
Church members and residents who listened to the premier’s address applauded.
“We thank the president for the quick response,” said Dereleen James, who initially sent the letter to Zuma. “That afternoon of his visit there was action.”
Speaking after the media briefing, Mokonyane’s spokesman, Thebe Mohatle, said: “This is a continuous programme that will go on indefinitely as long as the community needs to be helped.”
He added that the programme would be implemented nationwide.
The Star