Move to illegalize Nyaope vital for crime prevention- MEC Shongwe

Move to illegalize Nyaope vital for crime prevention- MEC Shongwe

BY BRIAN KAJENGO

MEC Vusi Shongwe fumes over the spreading of the illegal spread of nyaope in the province.

Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC Vusi Shongwe has commended the Department of Justice  Constitutional Development (DJCD) for pronouncing the usage of the drug, Nyaope as illegal saying the development augers well for crime prevention initiatives.  

This comes after the DJCD first announced in March that it intends to classify Nyaope as an illegal drug. The department further explained that, they are in the process of amending the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act, 1992(Act 140 of 1992).

It is reported that anyone found dealing with the drug could face approximately 25 years of imprisonment while those who will be found in possession the drug could face 15 years in jail. This is according to the amendment of the Drugs Act.

Shongwe says the declaration of Nyaope as illegal will assist police to arrest those who will be found dealing with the dangerous drug. He says the drug has had serious impact in the lives of young people and he is glad that finally it has been declared illegal to use it anywhere in the country.

He has further has urged the community to report those who deal with the drug to the police so that they could be arrested and face the consequences in jail. He says communities must never be afraid to expose those people because drug abuse is negatively affecting the future of young people.

The MEC called on the police to immediately start pouncing on anybody found to be using the drug so that they could be immediately brought to book. He has further called on the criminal justice system to speedily prosecute those who are linked to distribution or using of the substance in order to bring an end to its effect in the society.

Nyaope also known as whoonga allegedly made out of a mixture of heroin and/or dagga to which further controlled substances may or not be added. This concoction also mixed with various extenders such as anti-retro viral drugs (used for AIDS treatment), milk powder, rat poison, bicarbonate of soda and pool cleaner.