The Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) will on Wednesday, embark on a substance abuse awareness campaign in Mabopane, Tshwane with the aim of raising awareness on dangers of substance abuse.

Gauteng Social Development MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza will lead a team of government officials on various activities for the day together with community and private partneships.

Soul City TV Series is one of the key partners. The series is a flagship television show, which has become one of South Africa’s most loved television shows over the past 21 years. Set in the fictional Soul City Township, the Soul City mirrors the social and development challenges faced by poor communities everywhere.

“It weaves health and social issues into real-life stories for the millions of people who have grown to trust the powerful messages of this very popular programme. So, as we engage with substance users in and around Mabopane, the drama series will prove crucial,” said Mayathula-Khoza.

She said “Bluetooth”, a new and dangerous phenomenon where users share a high by exchanging blood, was gaining notoriety as a new trend among drug users in some parts of Tshwane Region.

The campaign will commence with MEC Mayathula-Khoza’s engagement with service users with aim  to educate users on dangers such as blood transfusion and also extending assistance to those in need. The department will also be sharing the information on departmental services and programmes on substance abuse. Assessments and screening by health professional and social workers will also be conducted on sites.

“We hope for a personal contact with residents through the door to door around Mabopane Station. We will then host an engagement session and a community engagement dialogue, where a panel of representatives from various stakeholders will deliberate on the challenges and interventions necessary to ensure that substance abuse harm, demand and supply is reduced. The sessions will also provide a feedback platform for these stakeholders and will allow for all to raise concerns and updates on progress the ongoing Gauteng City Region Social Movement against substance abuse,” she added.

The details of the campaign are as follows:

Engagement with drug users

Date:          Wednesday, 01 March 2017
Time:          7:00 AM -9:00 AM
Venue:       Mabopane Station

Door to Door Campaign:

Date:          Wednesday, 01 March 2017
Time:          9:30 AM 11:30 AM
Venue:       Households affected by Substance Abuse around Mabopane Station

Stakeholder Engagement:

Date:          Wednesday, 01 March 2017
Time:          9:30 AM 11:30 AM
Venue:      Bodibeng Library: Opposite Mabopane Station
                 1424 Block BB. Soshanguve

Community  Engagement:

Date:          Wednesday, 01 March 2017
Time:         12:00 PM 15:00 PM
Venue:      Bodibeng Library: Opposite Mabopane Station
                  1424 Block BB. Soshanguve


For more information please contact Mbangwa Xaba on 072 447 6582/ 060 983 8870, email Mbangwa.Xaba@gauteng.gov.za
RSVP: Thango Gombiza on 011 886 3775/072 426 2064. Email thango@zanenza.co.za