Address by the member of the Executive Council for Social Development Ms Nandi Mayathula-Khoza on the occasion of ke Moja Awards Birchwood Hotel, Benoni, Ekurhuleni
Mr Sam Ntuli DSD Ekurhuleni Region Ms Tebello Mkhonto
Director: Substance Abuse Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation, Social Crime Prevention and VEP
Mr Sicelo Nkosi
Author and Motivational Speaker Mr Musa Simelane
Celebrants
Ladies and gentlemen:
I am delighted to be with you this afternoon to present the 2017 Ke Moja Awards to outstanding Ke Moja Coaches for this year. These awards are very important to the Government of Gauteng. They recognise outstanding regional Ke Moja coaches who help us to implement the anti- drug and substance abuse programme in schools throughout the province.
So, the work that you do is valuable and inspirational to all of us. For that reason, I am here to lend my own personal support to you. I am here to applaud the winners and to confirm to those that came after them that; even though you may not have won, you are the best!
After all, even with one child saved from the scourge of drug and substance abuse, we are all winners!
Programme Director, the task of combating substance abuse is no small fry and unfortunately, it looks like it is getting bigger. According to the South African Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use, statistics on substance abuse amongst children and the youth in South Africa indicates a gradual increase.
This information is based on 10 197 patients seen across 64 treatment centres / programmes. Cannabis is the dominant substance of abuse in Gauteng, KZN, Limpopo and Mpumalanga, whilst treatment admissions for heroin remained stable, but injection use of heroin has increased substantially in Gauteng from 12% to 21%.
In the Northern Cape, KZN and Gauteng the majority of heroin patients younger than 20 years were Black/African, 98%, 92% and 88% respectively. The use of nyaope (low grade heroin and other ingredients smoked with dagga), continues to pose a problem, with 4% of patients in KZN (and GT) admitted for nyaope use.
This demand for drugs can lead to a variety of social ills impacting on the health, behaviour and state of mind of children and youth, placing them at risk of developing life-threatening illnesses later on in life. Children and the youth are susceptible to substance use due to curiosity, experimentation, low self-esteem, adolescence, peer pressure, access to drugs etc.
The Department of Social Development (DSD) is the lead agent in administering the Prevention of and Treatment of Substance Abuse Act 70 of 2008. It is also assigned the responsibility for the demand and harm reduction, which include amongst others prevention and early intervention strategies.
These interventions include the Ke Moja Drug Prevention Programme aimed at educating learners and out of school youth of the negative effects of alcohol and drugs. Ke Moja, I'm fine without Drugs is a brand name for the Government of South Africa towards drugs and substance abuse prevention.
Your work is designed to and is indeed recording notable progress in promoting behaviour change as an alternative to the use of drugs amongst young people. You are doing a lot in assisting the youth to realiase their talents and potential and become contributing members of their community and society.
Programme Director, this programme focuses on using a variety of activities as tools to educate, empower and develop awareness of the harmful effects of substance abuse, especially illicit drugs. The target groups are Children and the youth. The programme also impacts positively on the general public i.e. parents and significant others.
Learners identified to be at risks during implementation of Ke Moja are referred to treatment centres together with their families for professional interventions.
Ke-Moja Programme assist the government to sustain a drug free environment in which learners and the youth enjoy their freedom, develop intellectually, socially, economically, emotionally, spiritually, and physically.
I am happy that this year, we will once again recognise 350 coaches who were recruited, trained and deployed at various schools identified by the Department of Education to implement the programme.
The first group of Ke-moja coaches received their certificates at the commemoration of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on the 26 June 2013. I am pleased to see that the roll out of the programme is progressing well in schools and is well received by learners and educators.
In closing, may I take this opportunity to thank you so much for the sterling work that you and ask that; all of you, whether you won or not, please continue with the good. Your individual actions each and every day will help our communities and our country remain drug- free.
Thank you for working with the Gauteng Department of Social Development to ensure that there is no place for drugs in our lives and our communities.
I thank you.
