​Last Friday,10 November 2023, the Gauteng Department of Social Development urged residents of Tembisa to join hands with the department in the fight against increasing drug abuse in the area. The call was made during a Ke Moja “I’m fine - without drugs” activation campaign.
The campaign, which was conducted under the theme “Realising the Dream of a Drug Free Gauteng City Region: Pulling the Plug on Drugs and Alcohol”, took place at Sethokga Park. The park has been identified as a hot spot for drug abuse.

Gauteng Department of Social Development’s Social Welfare and Specialized Services Chief Director, Tebello Mkhonto, said that “In most townships you find children as young as 8 years old loitering the streets at night without purpose and that demonstrates the kind of families which raise them. This kind of negligence is partly a precursor to the beginning of substance abuse from an early age”.

Mkhonto said, “As a community, we need to be vigilant and report such cases because in the long run, this will help to curb social ills, and parents too should take the responsibility. We should also report drug dealers because in most cases, these peddlers are known people in the community”.

She said that “If we deal with substance abuse, there will be a decline in social ills”.

Aaron Masina from the Gauteng Liquor Board said, “As we issue liquor licenses to tavern owners, we ensure that the owner understands liquor laws which include Liquor Act No 22, which helps us to regulate licensing to all in the Gauteng Province”.