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The Eastern Cape is in the middle of a substance abuse crisis, as people seek to escape the harsh lived reality of systemic unemployment, abject poverty and loss of hope. This has not gone unnoticed by those seeking to profit off these individuals, exploiting their vulnerabilities for their own gain.

Despite the rising drug crisis in the province, the Eastern Cape Department of Social Development has stopped funding to four NPO’s delivering services to those affected by drug and alcohol abuse, since 2019/20. The Department currently only provides funding to 41 NPO’s in this regard, of which 14 had not received any funding from ECDSD by 1 June 2023.  (IQP 31 q 660 – Aug 22; IQP 18 q 40 – June 2023)

Today (Monday, 26 June 2023) is the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (IDADA). Provincially, drug-related cases have surged, with a total of 3193 cases reported by the police across the Eastern Cape between January and March 2023. (Crime Stats 22/23 Q4)

The highest increase of drug related crimes reported in hotspot areas are as follows:

- Gelvandale police station in Nelson Mandela Bay saw an increase of 154% in drug related crimes between January and March 2023, compared to the same period in the previous years;

- Mdantsane and King William's Town police stations in BCM saw an increase of 128%, and 312% respectively;

- In Cradock in the Chris Hani District, 113 cases were reported in the period between January and March 2023;

- Humansdorp and Joubertina police stations reported 164, and 120 cases within the first three months of 2023.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, as substance abuse cases mostly go undetected.

The level at which drugs are circulating and abused in city centres, townships, and villages, especially by young people, should be a serious cause for concern to all of us.

The Eastern Cape has only one dedicated state-owned drug rehabilitation centre for children, the Ernest Malgas drug rehabilitation centre in Port Elizabeth. There is a clear correlation between poverty, substance abuse, and crime.

To effectively tackle the debilitating social ill of the abuse of alcohol and drugs, the government must focus on stronger collaborations between the South African Police Services and the Department of Social Development.

In the Western Cape various initiatives are implemented by the DA-led government to address this crisis, these include; an oversight committee – monitoring interventions, family and after-school programmes, screening and treatment for those caught in the grip of this crisis.

In the broader context, understanding the social ills we face in South Africa, over and above investing heavily in substance abuse rehabilitation centre's, the ANC government needs to be spending more resources allocated to prevent and discourage illicit drug use behaviour.

Issued by Kobus Botha MPL - DA EC Shadow MEC of Social Development