KwaZulu-Natal Community Safety and Liaison Department spent its 67 minutes by visiting different areas to make difference on the Mandela Day. Yesterday, 18 July 2013 the department visited street kids at the so- called Whoonga Park, in Albert Park, Durban to spend its 67 minutes, where parents and street kids gathered in a bid to find search for one another as some kids had left their homes many years ago.
The department’s initiative sought to encourage street kids and all drug users to stay off the drugs and to warn them of the dangers associate with the abuse of drugs. The event was held in partnership with the department’s social partners, including Ukhozi FM and Izwi Lomzansi, eThekwini Municipality and other community organisations.
The event was an emotional spectacle filled with joy as excitement as parents hugged and kissed their children after they had found one another following years of self-imposed separation by the street kids. It (the event) was also very successful.
Ten girls were emotionally moved and broke into tears, publicly declaring that they wanted to stop using drugs and wanted to be given assistance to abandon drugs. They were then taken to Newlands Rehab Centre to get help. Siphiwe Shabalala, who left his Mandeni home in 2011 decided to return home and was transported back home. His mother thanked the Department, saying all along she used to think that his son had died.
The event was part of the department's programme to warn the communities of the dangers of whoonga and other drugs. This programme was launched successfully in Chesterville, west of Durban, recently. It was then taken to Umbilo. This rollout programme is expected to be rolled out throughout the province.
Head of Department, Mr Ronnie Bhengu, said through this programme the department sought to flush out all sort of crimes because research had revealed that drugs were key drivers of crime and other social ills.
“We want these kids to get help, go back to school and be someone`s tomorrow. Some of them have matric certificates; we will try to help them to get bursaries to enrol their studies. We want to clean our province so that we stay in a safe and secure environment. By getting closer to these kids we will be able to get information of who manufacture and distribute drugs to them. I want to see you in war rooms leading safety programmes of fighting the usage of drugs and crime in your communities,” said Bhengu.
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