The government’s reluctance to allocate adequate resources towards the fight against substance abuse has contributed to the sharp increase in drug-related crimes in the country, Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille said on Friday.
Writing in her weekly newsletter, Zille blamed the fuelling of substance abuse in provinces such as the Western Cape on state inaction.
”Although a specialised drug unit, the South African Narcotics Bureau, existed until recently within the South African Police Service [SAPS], the government decided to disband the unit in 2004 — thus fuelling drug-related crimes in the last few years,” she said.
The government was also under-funding South Africa’s Central Drug Authority (CDA).
”In 2005 the government gave R400 000 to the CDA — a completely inadequate amount that must be tripled.
”The ineffectual response of the state and security agencies is triggering a new form of vigilantism — mass local action against perceived dealers,” she said.
Last month, residents in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town, stormed the homes and vehicles of alleged drug dealers in their community.
”While the violent nature of the protests has rightly been condemned, they did succeed in highlighting the devastating effect of drugs on our communities and galvanising police into much-needed action,” Zille said.
Drug-related crimes were now at an all-time high nationwide.
”According to the SAPS, there were almost 105 000 drug-related crimes in the past year — an increase of nearly 10% over such crimes in the past two years.
”There is also a direct link between substance abuse and the assault, abduction and murder of children countrywide,” she said.
Home-based rehabilitation, coupled by adequate funding of anti-drug agencies, Zille said, are some of the main areas the government had to focus on if the war against drugs was to be won.
The solution to rehabilitating addicts lay in family and community support, with the government’s assistance, as the success rate of rehabilitation has been proven to increase when families get involved.
She urged the state to increase funding to the CDA. — Sapa