26 Jun 2019

Assistant Commissioner, South Central Division, Mr Mudongo Chitutu has urged the Kgatleng community to work with law enforcement agencies in tackling the worrying cases of drug abuse, especially in schools.

  Speaking during the No. 12 District cluster policing awards ceremony recently in Mochudi, Mr Chitutu painted a gloom picture of school going children using and trafficking drugs to the detriment of their own future and well-being.

Senior Superintendent Mariam Kilano, officer commanding the narcotics, fauna and flora investigating unit, also illustrated some worrying trends, drawing from the 2015 Botswana Substance Abuse Support Network (BOSASNet) pitso statistics.

She said between 2010 and 2014, they had 2 985 cases of dagga weighing 7 364 kilogrammes which resulted in 4 177 Batswana arrested and 198 foreigners.

She said they had 73 cocaine cases with 4 177 locals involved and 198 foreigners.

She noted that more Batswana were involved in dealing with drugs as compared to foreigners, and that women dominated men in dealing with drugs.

She said 56 cases of illicit drug possession were registered in Mochudi in 2018 and 23 for this year so far, adding that most involved dagga.

BOPA caught up with a recovering drug addict who has been clean since 2014 to try and understand what drove him to the pits, how he overcame his addiction and found a purpose in helping others battling drug addiction.

Mr Boipelo Mokone started using ecstasy in 1994 after discovering his talent in music whilst he was still a pupil at Maikano Junior Secondary School.

“I am here today because of God and it was in 2014 when I decided enough was enough, as I gave my life to Christ,” he said, adding that he went to different churches in pursuit of his spiritual balance until he went to one church in Mochudi where he met his now wife and mother to their six-month-old son.

Mr Mokone said during his drug-fuelled days, things went from bad to worse in 1998 when he was falsely accused of rape and he began to fall into a depression leading to suicidal thoughts and behaviour.

“Mind you, even though I had passed my Form 2 in 1994, in 1997 I failed my Cambridge as I had only three subjects recorded on my certificate because I failed to write some and did not pass most of my subjects,” he said, further adding that his drug use was accompanied by alcohol abuse.

Though he started to find his way back from drug addiction in 2014, Mr Mokone said in 2015 he felt an urge to get as far away as possible from people, and that it was by pure coincidence that he came across an NGO on Facebook called Youth Against Accidents that had a prayer walk from Gaborone to Francistown.

“I and my then friend (now Ms Mokone) decided to walk with the team and that is when I got healed from my cravings. I concentrated on the church and focused on socialising with people that added value to me in terms of mentorship and advice,” he said.

 He admits that getting out of drugs was not easy as he needed support from family, spiritual intervention and balance in life.

“I am on my fifth year being clean and sober from alcohol, ecstasy and cigarettes,” he said. He said in 2016, together with his fiancée, they registered an NGO as a platform to amplify their voices by doing outreach programmes in schools and the community.

Having taken the decision to be the change that he wanted to see in society, Mr Mokone said in 2017 he walked 465 kms from Gaborone to Francistown to advocate against drug abuse, and that he has never faltered in his advocacy for zero tolerance in drug use and abuse.

He said he had found fulfillment and healing in using his talent to help others, as it had also helped him from relapsing and going back to his old bad ways.

On his current plans, Mr Mokone said he was working on a cycling campaign against drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking to commence on June 30.

“It will be a 22-day excursion from Kgatleng District to Southern and South East districts as a way of remembering those we have lost due to drug abuse,” he said.

 He noted that on June 28 it would be the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking at Mochudi main kgotla.

With the theme of his campaign titled: I have a choice, Mr Mokone said it was his way of saying “we all have choices and it is up to us to stand up for the right choices when it comes to drug use and abuse.” He said his dream was to establish psychotherapy, counselling and detoxing facilities.

“In all these activities Bakgatla ba ga Kgafela have stood up to support me along with Kgosi Bana Sekai and other traditional leaders,” he said. He said the CEO of Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) would be the guest speaker at the commemoration.

Mr Mokone applauded government efforts in tackling the drug situation in Botswana.

He said he has build a relationship with Botswana Police Services (BPS) and Botswana Prisons Services (BPS).

“This helps a lot in the fight against drugs because they accompany me in almost all the schools outreach programmes that I do and even in the community,” he said. ENDS