Poet Ntsiki Mazwai said she was grateful that Riky Rick's family were honest about the rapper's battle with drug addiction.
Riky died last Wednesday after taking his own life.
Taking to Twitter she asked when Mzansi will have a conversation about the silent killer.
“I am thankful that Ricky's family was open about his never ending drug recovery process ... When are we having the cocaine conversation? We just out here watching people die”
In her mentions some of her followers empathised with people battling drug addiction, while others said drugs we solely not to blame.
“Problem isn’t cocaine but lifestyle that drives people to cocaine. A life of excessive entertainment, materialism, external validation and image idolatry. This lifestyle of celebs disconnects you from your spiritual core of balance and leaves you looking up to substance for coping.”
'We just out here watching people die' — Ntsiki Mazwai urges SA to talk about cocaine addiction
Image: Instagram/ Ntsiki Mazwai
Poet Ntsiki Mazwai said she was grateful that Riky Rick's family were honest about the rapper's battle with drug addiction.
Riky died last Wednesday after taking his own life.
Taking to Twitter she asked when Mzansi will have a conversation about the silent killer.
“I am thankful that Ricky's family was open about his never ending drug recovery process ... When are we having the cocaine conversation? We just out here watching people die”
In her mentions some of her followers empathised with people battling drug addiction, while others said drugs we solely not to blame.
“Problem isn’t cocaine but lifestyle that drives people to cocaine. A life of excessive entertainment, materialism, external validation and image idolatry. This lifestyle of celebs disconnects you from your spiritual core of balance and leaves you looking up to substance for coping.”
The rapper's father-in-law, while paying tribute to Riky at his send-off, thanked him for making his battle with addiction public for all to see.
“Thank you for the courage in dealing with your addictions in a mature and honest public way so that others who face a similar problem could benefit and learn and to say that addiction is not a crime its an illness.”
The Boss Zonke hitmaker had been vocal about his struggles with depression and anxiety. Riky appeared on Vuzu's I Am docuseries years ago and said speaking up about addiction was not easy.
“It's so hard for people to get on these platforms and speak about these things. The main thing about us is that we can't have fear of not being perfect, and for the longest time I had this thing that people had to know me for being perfect or being that person who doesn't have issues,” he explained.
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