Drug and substance abuse continues to be a huge public health problem not only in Gauteng but in the whole country. It has a significant impact on the health of individuals and communities, and it can lead to physical and mental health problems, including heart disease, liver damage, and depression.
The Gauteng government has been deploying different strategies to tackle drug abuse head on. This includes a new initiative to encourage people to make use of drug and substance abuse rehabilitation centres across the province.
Since October 2022, the provincial government has been encouraging substance users to admit themselves at various treatment centres . These efforts are part of the government’s unwavering fight against substance abuse.
The Gauteng government has partnered with various state-funded rehabilitation centres such as Dr Fabian and Florence Ribeiro Treatment Centre in Cullinan, Pretoria, to accommodate patients seeking recovery. It was converted into a rehabilitation centre for alcohol and drug abusers in the 1970s, It is conditionally registered to admit 353 patients (218 males, 75 females and 60 boys) with substance abuse disorders.
The centre has a multidisciplinary team that consists of social workers, social auxiliary workers, care workers, professional nurses, occupational therapist, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, medical doctor, educators, religious consultant, and support groups.
Admissions to inpatient treatment facilities are facilitated by social workers. Walk-ins are not allowed directly at these centres. To improve accessibility, the government is in a process of introducing the concept of walk-in centres for substance abuse users. These centres, to be established at decentralised cluster offices and service points of the department of social development, will significantly enhance access to substance use disorder services across townships.
At these walk-in centres, comprehensive assessments will be conducted, followed by appropriate referrals to registered and funded community-based services, outpatient or inpatient treatment facilities, and other support services. This initiative will ensure that drug users have easy access to treatment they desperately need.
One such centre has already been launched in Kagiso. It works closely with the departments of health, social development, and the SAPS to offer help, from quick checks to full rehabilitation.
In addition, the provincial government is funding 479 beds at nonprofit rehabilitation centres. The government is converting the Mabutho Hlatshwayo Child and Youth Care Centre in Heidelberg into a drug rehabilitation centre. The centre is currently being renovated to increase treatment capacity.
Another state-run centre in Soshanguve, Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa centre, is also being refurbished to add 97 beds to the programme. The government is also finalising the procurement of 200 beds in Merafong for inpatient rehabilitation.
In 2022, premier Panyaza Lesufi launched a toll-free 24-hour anti-substance abuse helpline, a first of its kind in SA. The helpline is one of government’s response dedicated to helping addicts who need rehabilitation but cannot afford to go to private facilities. Most people who contact the helpline are families that seek help for their loved ones. By March, the helpline had already linked 1,800 to rehab centres.
Tabling the department’s budget in July, Gauteng social development MEC Faith Mazibuko announced that more than 31,000 drug users accessed prevention, rehabilitation, and recovery support services during the 2024/25 financial year.
Recently, the provincial government appointed social workers who specialise in substance use disorder.
Drug abuse reaches across social, racial, cultural, language, religious, and gender boundaries and affects everyone directly or indirectly. We cannot dispute that socioeconomic factors such as poverty, inequality, and unemployment remain key contributing elements to the increased use of drugs and the development of substance use disorders.
Drug abuse requires strategic interventions at all spheres of government, community, family and individual levels. A drastic change in approach is urgently needed.
- Dlamini is a communicator in the Gauteng office of the premier
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