National Police Commissioner must address Nyaope scourge
Note to editors: The following statement was distributed at a visit to Operation Thiba Nyaope in Ivory Park in Gauteng today by the DA's Shadow Minister of Police,Dianne Kohler Barnard MP, DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Social Development, Emmah More MP and DA Gauteng Community Safety Spokesperson, Kate Lorimer, to discuss the challenges the community faces in tackling the drug nyaope.
Today the DA visited non-profit organisation, Operation Thiba Nyaope, in Ivory Park, Gauteng on a fact-finding mission to unpack the challenges the community is facing in tackling the drug nyaope (also known as whoonga). We met with the President of the organisation, Terence Dzeli, and community members who told us how this drug is destroying their communities.
Nyaope contains a mixture of heroine, dagga, rat poison, ARVs and other chemicals. It is highly addictive and is often linked to criminal and violent behaviour.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), it is difficult to prosecute cases involving nyaope as it has not been classified. The Department of Justice is currently working on amending the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act to include nyaope, but as it contains heroin and dagga, they should still be able to prosecute.
Drug crime is often heavily dependent on police action for detection. As we saw in Eldorado Park in Gauteng, a special intervention works. The police arrested 43 people and closed down 20 drug dens in one weekend.
Similar interventions are required in all communities where drug abuse is rife.
The DA will be writing to the National Police Commissioner, Riah Phiyega, requesting that special interventions similar to the one undertaken in Eldorado Park be rolled out in all communities in South Africa where drug abuse is rife. We will also re-iterate our call for the Narcotics Bureau to be re-established. Drug-related crime has increased by 181% from 62 689 in 2003/2004 to 176 307 in 2011/2012 since this specialised unit was disbanded in 2004.
The DA will also submit parliamentary questions to the Minister of Justice enquiring about the current challenges in prosecuting nyaope cases and whether it is really necessary to wait for the legislation to be amended.
Finally we will request that the Department of Social Development devise a plan to prevent and combat the use of this drug.
In order to tackle the drug effectively, various government departments need to step up. SAPS must target the drug and work with the community to find out where drug manufacturers and dealers are working.
SAPS also needs to get drugs and drug dealers off the streets, the NPA must successfully prosecute those involved and the Department of Social Development must promote measures to prevent and combat the use of this drug.
Statement issued by Dianne Kohler Barnard MP, DA Shadow Minister of Police, July 17 2013
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