9 July 2007
What brings us together is the fact that Tik is really causing havoc all
over Cape Town. We didn't need police statistics to tell us where the various
problems are; everyone who has children on the Cape Flats knows where it is. We
have seen it because this havoc is seen in the statistics that over 3 000 drug
related crimes were committed in Mitchell's Plain. Now when we say drug related
crimes, we refer to those who are busy with house breaking, car theft, robbery
and other related crimes. Hulle wag vir die mense by die stasie, by die taxi
rank to rob people. They are attacking more and more people and the bad news is
because they are our children, when they are caught by the police, parents tend
to be so in denial although their children have been caught and the evidence is
there.
That is also why the problem does not stop and why we are bringing the
anti-tik campaign out at Good Hope Centre, on the radio through Good Hope FM,
through the newspaper and throughout the things that I've mentioned here. We
want to take it to the Imam and the Priest, to the Principals and the Teachers
to call the community leaders because they must break the silence and they must
break the denial because for as long as parents are saying my child did not do
that, my child is not on drugs and they deny it, this problem will persist in
the Western Cape, and this is the week in which we must break the silence.
We have decided that this campaign is based on three things. The first one
is to cut the supply of drugs. Minister Ramatlakane, Commissioner Petros and
the police force have been able to track down more and more tik factories in
the Western Cape. These tik factories are not in an industrial area. We find
these factories in the most up market places such as Sea Point, in Camp's Bay,
Bishop�s Court and so forth. We've got to be able to find the factories and
close them down.
In the process of cutting the supplier we will also catch the high flyers.
We have had quite a bit of success on that issue, we all know that Mr Capdie is
in jail for drugs and is fighting for bail but if we have our way we'll make
him sit in jail, the same with Ougat Peterson of Kensington, the same with Mr
Been. We didn't catch him with drugs, but his lifestyle is high and his income
declared is low, so there is a problem, meaning he is making money in some way
that we don't know, and more than that, we are saying that there are a range of
high flyers that we are trying to put in jail.
The second aspect is that we must cut the addiction amongst young people so
that we can go on closing the factories. This generation that is addicted to
drugs must begin to say Tik off. We need more rehabilitation facilities in the
Western Cape and everyone of the areas that we are speaking about will not be
able to pay the high prices at rehabilitation centres. If the government
doesn't subsidize in the Western Cape then the majority of people who need
rehab will not be able to break free from drugs.
We have to build our rehabilitation centres throughout Western Cape and that
is why we are saying there is hope. We are not winning the battle yet, however
we are saying we have hope. We are saying there�s hope because the facilities
and rehab centres will be built for the public in addition to what I have
already mentioned.
The third thing we want to do is to cut the demand. We don't want our
children to experiment with drugs. That means that we want every parent to see
the first signs of drug abuse. We want the teachers not only to teach Maths and
Science, English and Xhosa, etc. We want them to also focus on drugs for the
first time. We want the truth in order to be able to help us to reduce this
problem. Parents must help their children. They must spend a little bit more
time with their children.
The medical research unit says that: Tik use in the Western Cape is most
high where gangsterism is mostly a deep rooted part of communities. Secondly
tik use is also high when the community is depressed, especially in areas where
there is high unemployment and people don't see a future. Thirdly when parents
are neglectful and don�t seem to show interest. When children are bored and
there are no facilities or sports facilities or sports grounds or productive
activities to keep them busy, they end up experimenting with Tik.
That is the reason why have decided to look at certain areas and not do the
entire Western Cape. We have taken the worst areas having considered all the
other factors. We will see whether through World Cup 2010 we can't get the
sport facility or the sports field in every area and use culture, music or
drama or whatever the case may be to shift the focus of children to other areas
of their lives. But we won't be able to turn the situation around on our own
and that is why we are saying today is a very important day. It is a day when
the nation has decided to come together for an important purpose. From
non-governmental organisations (NGOs), to government, parents, teachers and all
members of or communities must unite against Tik. Priests and community leaders
must also look after the interest of children against Tik.
When a child suddenly lost weight and loses their appetite we must become
suspicious. We must look for aggression. When your child starts fighting and
the child is so disrespectful, look at Tik, don't look at your child. It is not
your child, it is Tik taking over. Hallucinations and delusions, headaches,
overconfidence, these are the signs. You've got to understand that you are
dealing with Tik. When your child suddenly changes dress style to fit in with
the friends you must pay attention. The point that I'm raising is that we have
to know and understand these things in order to help our children. There is
hope and that is what we are trying to say with the Tik off campaign. We can
beat it. I want to say to our children, when someone comes to you at school to
sell you drugs, don't fight with him, tell them to tik off, when your friends
says try it, don't get angry, tell them to tik off, when the drug dealer comes
to you, don't get into trouble with them, tell them to Tik off.
I would like to thank everybody for coming together to the launch of the Tik
off campaign. It is about progressing. It is about getting the information and
signs out and we are depending on our radio stations, news papers, in the
churches, in the schools to help us rehabilitate our children and ensure that
Tik is stopped and not experimented with. Lets stop it before it goes anywhere
else. Before we go I'll make a reading of 3 or 4 verses of a poem that was
written by a sick patient while she was rehabilitating. I've seen a before and
after picture. If you would've seen that picture, you would not try Tik. This
is what it says:
"I am Tik. I destroy homes, I tear families apart, take your children, and
that's just the start. I'm more costly than diamonds, more precious than gold.
The sorrow I bring is a sight to behold. Just try me once and I might let you
go, But try me twice, and I'll own your soul. When I possess you, you'll steal
and you'll lie, You will do what you have to -- just to get high. The crimes
you'll commit for my narcotic charms will be worth the pleasure you'll feel in
your arms, (your lungs, and your nose).You'll lie to your mother; you'll steal
from your dad, When you see their tears, you should feel sad. But you'll forget
your morals and how you were raised, I'll be your conscience, I'll teach you my
ways. I take kids from parents, and parents from kids, I turn people from God,
and separate friends."
Those were a few verses describing what this child went through and led her
to write this poem. I want to say that we must remember that Tik can be beaten,
there is hope. Before we go I want you to remember those 3 things: 'Reduce
suppliers, Reduce demand and Reduce addiction,' then I think that Western Cape
would have a good future for all our children. So I want to thank you very much
for this very important partnership. Thank you very much.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Western Cape Provincial Government
9 July 2007
