President Jacob Zuma visited nyaope addicts at a church in Soshanguve near Pretoria on Tuesday to listen to their stories about how they got hooked on drugs and why they couldn’t stop.
He spoke with some addicts individually for close to two hours‚ asking questions about drug dealers in the area and also talked about the controversial "Bluetooth" craze where drug users inject each othe with their blood to get high.
Members of the media were excluded from the visit.
Zuma was joined by ministers and deputy ministers‚ including Minister of State Security David Mahlobo.
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“We started in the Block L area where we spoke with young people who are taking drugs and who want to get out of it‚” Zuma said.
“I heard about this particular group from a colleague at the office‚ so I went there to listen to them.”
“We got I think a very frank description of the problems of those that want to come out of the drugs. We are going to be able to meet and work on a plan on how to help them‚” he said.
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Zuma and his fellow ministers then visited Soshanguve Crossing Mall to “to see how crime is.”
He said a citizen had written him a letter‚ saying they were worried about the crime in the area.
Following a walk through at the mall‚ which was chaotic as police and security shoved a path for Zuma through a massive crowd‚ the convoy headed to Rietgat Police Station on a surprise visit.
“So we have come to this station to get a full report from the authorities here‚ and we are satisfied with that report and we now know what else needs to be done here in terms of policing‚” Zuma said.
He confirmed that he would be visiting other areas.
“Crime is a major problem that faces the country and I am trying to find ways and means of dealing with crime.”
“In no way can we sit in South Africa and live side-by-side with crime. Either there is something wrong with our laws‚ or there is something we are not doing right.
“If at all there are things that we can do to eradicate it‚ then that is what we must do. If it means investing more‚ that is what we must do‚ because security is very important to our citizens and it should be a priority‚” Zuma said.
- TMG Digital
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