16 Feb 2017

People in leadership positions must be exemplary in the fight against excessive alcohol consumption and usage of illegal drugs.
Balete deputy paramount chief, Kgosi Tsimane Mokgosi cautioned during a workshop on drugs and substance abuse in Ramotswa recently, organised by Letlhapisa le Lengwe Substance Abuse Support Group.
Kgosi Mokgosi said some leaders have succumbed to excessive usage of drugs and alcohol, which reflect negatively on the war against drug abuse.
He said a deeper honest reflection of the society can attest that some leaders indulge in substance such as marijuana and other habit-forming drugs.
Therefore, he cautioned Balete herdsman to be exemplary and avoid being known for   drinking almost every day on their way to work.
 He said the impact of alcohol in the society is known and has tarnished reputation of many families, leads to poverty, school dropout, academic failures and family conflicts. Kgosi Mokgosi added that drug abuse has destroyed the future of many young people, hence the need for those who deal with drugs to be followed and prosecuted.
 He said the law against illegal drugs is strong enough to deter  the would-be abusers, but there are other factors which contribute to the presence of drugs in the country.
Assistant Superintendent Zibisani Mathumo of Ramotswa Police Station said Ramotswa is used as a transit router of drugs into the county due to its proximity to the South African boader.
He said marijuana is one of the common illegal drugs found in the area, adding that 14 cases of abusing the drug were recorded in 2014, 10 in 2015 and 15 in 2016. Assistant Superintendent Mathumo said cases of marijuana mostly involved a chain of individuals, adding that they try by all means to prosecute those involved.
 He appealed to the society to help the police in the war against drugs, saying it is the community that knows where the drugs are found in the village.
Assistant Superintendent Mathumo decried excessive alcohol abuse in the area, saying alcohol contributes to road accidents.
 For their part, participants called upon fellow residents to join hands with the police to fight drugs.
 Others said there are known drugs hot spots in the village, but the police seem not interested in those places. The one-day workshop was organised to sensitise village herdsmen on consequences of substance abuse and how the problem can be addressed. ENDS