Earlier this week, in my capacity as MMC for Health, I visited Prosperitus Secondary School and PS Fourie Primary School in Eersterust to engage learners on the dangers associated with substance abuse.
This visit forms part of the City’s ongoing community outreach programme where officials speak directly with residents on the ground on a variety of key matters.
Our Health Department also used the school visits as a platform to deliver motivational messages to the learners. The main motivational speaker was Dr Rodney Seale, a renowned author with vast experience working with the youth on topics such as drug abuse, bullying and teen suicide, addressed the learners on these key issues.
The City’s intervention comes after the community raised the alarm that substance abuse could lead to an increased risk of teen suicides. Meanwhile, school authorities emphasised that there was a need for improved counselling services for schools and increased support for educators to equip them to assist learners.
The City is committed to assisting communities impacted by substance abuse through our Local Drug Action Committee (LDAC) which serves as a coordinating mechanism to ensure the effective use of all available resources to fight substance abuse.
The City also runs a 24-hour toll-free helpline to provide support for matters related to substance abuse. The HopeLine can be contacted on 0800 611 197 or 0800 467 347.
It is important that we all work together to ensure that we fight substance abuse and clean our streets from drugs like nyaope and other narcotics. Furthermore, through this outreach we will ensure that we reach identified schools in all seven regions of Tshwane.