MEC calls for nyaope to be classified
2013-02-20 15:48
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Johannesburg
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Johannesburg - The non-classification of nyaope as an
illegal drug is undermining efforts to fight the war against crime, Gauteng
Social Development MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza said on Wednesday.
"Addicts often become involved in crime and
prostitution in order to get their next hit. It also heightens sexual desires,
which is thought to be behind the rise in rape cases in the townships,"
she said in a statement.
She said users often led disorganised lives, and lied,
terrorised their families and stole just to get the drug.
"If nothing is done, we will be defiling the
fundamental principles of safe environments for all," said
Mayathula-Khoza.
She said the classification of nyaope as an illegal drug
would inevitably result in the dismantling of the crimes associated with the
substance.
"This would help lessen the financial load of drug
treatment and would be able to redirect these funds into more important
priorities, such as improving education and awareness, which has been found to
be strongly linked to the reduction of crime rates."
According to police figures, 60% of crimes nationally
were related to substance abuse and nyaope users constituted a substantial
number of abusers.
"Last year in Gauteng alone, 25 949 drug-related
crimes were recorded and nyaope users are typically between the ages of 13 and
19."
She said prosecutors struggled to prosecute on nyaope as
it was not classified as a drug. It presented a unique challenge to law
enforcement in that it was a concoction of mostly "legal" substances
and thus made prosecution difficult.
Nyaope, a powder-like substance is a mixture of rat
poison, heroin and anti-retroviral medications, among others.
- SAPA
