Only 65 successful convictions from 136 000 drug-related arrests in GP

According to a response from Gauteng Community Safety MEC Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane to written questions from the DA, only 65 successful convictions have come from 136 000 drug-related arrests in Gauteng since 2011.

This is a shocking 1.5% conviction rate over four years.

Of this, 15 350 arrests were linked to crimes committed in notoriously bad drug areas, such as Eldorado Park, Hillbrow, Kliptown, Temba and Daveyton.

In the drug hit suburb of Westbury, where four-year old Luke Tibbetts was tragically shot and killed, 241 drug-related incidents have been reported to date in 2014.

Armed robbery is also on the increase in this suburb; most likely as an off-shoot of the drug problem.

When questioned about programmes which government has in place to combat the drug scourge, the MEC indicated that only drug awareness programmes and random school searches are currently active.

The victims of drug-related crimes, and those who live in fear of further such incidents, know that these programmes are not working.

What does work, and which has been used successfully the world over, are specialised drug units.

Despite several attempts by the DA to have these units reinstated, the provincial government continues to delay in taking serious action in this regard.

While the drug scourge rages, only 65 people now sit behind bars for drug-related crimes committed against the people of this province.

The DA will continue to fight for a better drug plan for Gauteng. We will do this for the family of Luke Tibbetts and for all those who have been denied justice through these unfounded delays.

Statement issued by Michele Clarke, DA Gauteng Spokesperson on Community Safety, September 15 2014

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter