Speaker, thousands of parents in our country are battling to cope with children who are addicted to drugs, such as tik, nyaope and whoonga. Because government is failing to stop the proliferation of drugs and the devastating effects on our children, illegal rehabilitation centres are mushrooming in the provinces. Recently, there was a two-day Anti-Nyaope Summit, where government and other stakeholders outlined recommendations on how to deal with nyaope. One of the reported resolutions that surprised me is to "lobby for the strengthening of law enforcement efforts in communities to reduce access to drugs".
For how long should communities lobby for the strengthening of law enforcement agents? Is there a will in government to eradicate drug trafficking from our communities? The fact that both nyaope and whoonga are not yet classified as illegal drugs reveals a lack of urgency on the part of government to rescue children as young as six, who are reportedly addicted to nyaope.
Last month, Mamelodi police said 75% of crimes reported in their area are substance-abuse related. Promiscuity, prostitution and escalating reports of rape are also linked to the easy availability of drugs, particularly nyaope, in the townships. More and more girls are reported to be offering sex in exchange for nyaope. Youth are being destroyed by the lethal drugs and nothing effective seems to be done to stop it. Our people need an effective intervention programme by government. [Time expired.]