26/08/2026
LETSEMENG MAYOR LEADS MULTI-SECTORAL RESPONSE TO DRUG AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE
In recognition of the growing social and economic impact of drug and substance abuse on families and communities, the Mayor of Letsemeng Local Municipality, Cllr Andrew Visagie, convened a strategic stakeholder engagement aimed at developing a coordinated, multi-sectoral response to the challenge.
The meeting brought together representatives from critical institutions whose collective intervention is essential in confronting substance abuse. Participants included Xoliswa Jack-Nkhema, Public Prosecutor from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA); Maria Michael, Manager at the Department of Social Development in Koffiefontein; Kelekantse Galeboe, Social Worker; Simbongile Magadla from the Department of Health; Mohau Mafalesa from SASSA; Sgt Dineo Mafata and Cpt Kathlene Cornellissen from the South African Police Service (SAPS); and Mr Elias Bonani, Principal of Reikaeletse Secondary School.
The engagement acknowledged that drug and substance abuse cannot be treated merely as a policing matter. It is a complex social challenge requiring prevention, education, law enforcement, rehabilitation, economic intervention and sustained community participation.
Among the contributing factors identified were peer pressure, unemployment, inadequate recreational opportunities and limited organised sporting programmes for young people. Concern was also raised about old and dilapidated buildings that increasingly become havens for substance abuse and other forms of criminal activity.
The meeting further examined the link between substance abuse and the theft and illegal sale of public infrastructure. Stolen municipal and other public infrastructure is often sold as scrap, creating a destructive cycle in which communities lose essential infrastructure while criminal activity is indirectly sustained. Stakeholders consequently emphasised the need for stronger monitoring and effective regulation of scrapyards and the scrap-metal value chain.
Central to the discussions was the need to move beyond fragmented interventions towards a coordinated Letsemeng strategy on drug and substance abuse, with clearly defined responsibilities for the Municipality, SAPS, NPA, Social Development, Health, SASSA, schools and community structures.
Mayor Visagie stressed that leadership in confronting social challenges does not belong to government or elected representatives alone.
“Every person, wherever he or she works, is a leader in their own right and carries a responsibility to bring positive change to the community in which they live.”
The Mayor further called for targeted strategies that produce targeted outcomes, arguing that interventions must respond to the specific realities confronting different communities and groups.
Particular emphasis was placed on young people. Stakeholders agreed that government and community institutions must communicate with the youth in a language and through platforms they understand, while simultaneously creating positive alternatives through sport, recreation, education, skills development and other constructive programmes.
The meeting recognised that enforcement alone will not defeat substance abuse. A sustainable response must address both the symptoms and the underlying conditions that make communities vulnerable — including unemployment, social disconnection, peer pressure, lack of recreational opportunities and neglected spaces.
The engagement therefore represents an important step towards building a whole-of-society response, bringing together prevention, law enforcement, social support, education, rehabilitation and community development.
For Letsemeng Local Municipality, the message emerging from the meeting was clear: the fight against drugs requires a community united in purpose. Government departments cannot work in isolation, schools cannot fight alone, SAPS cannot police the problem away, and families cannot carry the burden by themselves.
Through coordinated leadership, targeted interventions and shared responsibility, Letsemeng seeks not only to fight substance abuse, but to reclaim vulnerable spaces, protect public infrastructure and, most importantly, give young people meaningful alternatives, renewed hope and a genuine opportunity to build a better future.
