Pretoria - Gauteng Social Development MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza has welcomed the amendment to the Drugs and Trafficking Act, saying that the decision was a game changer in the fight against drug abuse.
Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Jeff Radebe and Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi this week signed the amendment of the Act to cover chemically modified drugs such as nyaope.
An amendment on the act means that if found using or in possession of nyaope, one may be prosecuted, facing up to 15 years in prison or a fine determined by the court. The penalty for dealing could be 25 years in prison, a fine or both.
MEC Mayathula-Khoza said the amendments will empower law enforcement officers to eliminate the scourge of nyaope in communities.
“The legislative amendment is a step in the right direction, as it will enable police to arrest within the legal framework. And also because it has the potential to enable prosecutors to prosecute successfully on nyaope and related substances,” said the MEC.
The powder-like substance is a mixture of rat poison, heroin and anti-retroviral medications, among others.
MEC Mayathula-Khoza said the economic and social problems created by the drug were significant, and the legal amendment was crucial, as addicts often became involved in crime and prostitution in order to get their next hit.
“The classification of nyaope as an illegal drug will inevitably result in the dismantling of the crimes associated with the substance. This will help lessen the financial load of drug treatment and will enable us to re-direct funds into other important priorities, such as improving education and awareness, which has been found to be strongly linked to the reduction of crime rates.”
Last year, the Gauteng Department of Social Development called for the criminalisation of nyaope and convened a conference, as it felt that the non-classification of nyaope as an illegal drug was undermining efforts to fight the war against drugs.
The department pointed out that the country needed to fundamentally change its policy and legislative framework to decisively deal with the scourge of nyaope.
As part of the anti-drug action campaign, government is focusing on three areas of intervention to combat substance abuse. These include demand reduction, harm reduction and supply reduction. – SAnews.gov.za
