\u201cYet another Youth Month has come and gone with little or nothing to show about youth development programmes by the metro,\u201d said DA\u2019s PR councillor in the metro, Clr Lucky Mokhoana.<\/p>\n
According to Mokhoana the scourge of drug use and unemployment in the city is spiraling out of control.<\/p>
\u201cThe metro continues to ponder and dream about the establishment of drug committees.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile the scourge of drugs in our metro hits the youth the hardest.<\/p>
\u201cThe time to address this problem is now,\u201d said Mokhoana.<\/p>\n
\u201cDrug abuse in the metro has reached epic proportions and now is the time to take action to avoid a situation where drug lords run our townships.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn his State of the City Address, the executive mayor, Clr Mzwandile Masina, made no mention of the drug problem in our townships.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe expected the mayor to discuss the establishment of more drug rehabilitation centres and announce concrete plans on how to deal with drug dealing head on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mokhoana further stated that the mayor\u2019s blas\u00e9 attitude towards this issue is an indication that the metro is happy to just pay lip service to the problems that are faced by the youth.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe reality is that substance abuse is an issue that affects all of us, directly and indirectly,\u201d said Mokhoana.<\/p>\n
\u201cSubstance abuse is a demon that continues to show its ugly head in our society.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot only does it destroy the youth, but also it leaves many families scarred and destroys the moral fabric of our society.\u201d<\/p>\n
He alleged that the law enforcement agencies within the metro, such as the EMPD and SAPS, are fighting a losing battle as there is a lack of political will to address this problem.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is evident that the metro has lost the war on drugs in our city,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe consider the drug problem within the City of Ekurhuleni as critical and we will not rest until measures are adopted that protect our communities from this devastating scourge.\u201d<\/p>\n
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