MIDDELBURG – The notorious township drug, nyaope will never cease to continue destroying the lives of youth and its suppliers are not convicted because it is a concoction of legal stuff mixed together.
At the same time, foreign nationals who produce it, are also not convicted as a result of the legalities. This was revealed by the MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Gabisile Shabalala today (Friday 12 February) when she handed over working equipment to members of Community Policing Forums (CPFs) from Nkangala District Municipality at the local rugby stadium.
READ | Premier and Community Safety MEC given three-day ultimatum
“Our vulnerability to foreign nationals who sell us drugs and this nyaope also pose as a threat to us South Africans in that we can be misled to a point that our country can be snatched from us.
“As we speak, police have arrested several nyaope dealers, but no convictions because of the legality of the stuff they mix to produce nyaope. That’s impeding on the wonderful work that police have done in apprehending these criminal elements, only to be let down by the courts of law. This is partly what has demotivated police, among many others by community members.
“The demotivation by the community who are easily hitched by lack of respect even for the hierarchy of this country. If you hurl insults at your leadership whilst addressing you, is that not the reason why foreign nationals in Johannesburg attacked the police, for instance.
“It’s based on such behaviour that I urge our CPFs to work diligently with the police and adhere to each station’s operation methods including working space and we’ll be paying them a stipend as a motivation.
ALSO READ | WATCH: Mozambican and South African nationals bare long queues at Lebombo border
“One important factor, CPF members mustn’t go around threatening people about arresting people, but should take orders from the police. You are their ears and eyes on the ground, let’s apprehend the known criminals and drug lords in our vicinity as you’ll realize through the training you will receive that we can bring down crime in our province and the country as a whole through your contribution,” concluded Shabalala.
