They call themselves the forgotten people of Newcastle, a community plagued by poverty and drug-use that is quickly escalating and destroying the lives of the youth.
Deciding to take a stand and ask for help in kicking drugs to the curb, the residents of Ward 25 in Fairleigh, got together to march from their homes to the mayoral parlour on Friday, 18 June. Banners raised high and their chants echoing down the busy streets, they were adamant about being heard. Trevor Bentley, a concerned Ward 25 member says that it is heart-breaking to see young members of the community battle with drugs. “Recently we have lost two young people due to drug overdoses in our area. Youngsters are seemingly turning to drugs as they are bored. As a concerned human being, these are our future leaders, doctors, lawyers and artists but they are sadly wasting their lives away. We need intervention and we need it now. A fight like this cannot be fought alone, that is why we are here today to hand over a memorandum to our municipality with a list of concerns of our young people as well as possible solutions. We cannot let our pleas fall on deaf ears,” said an emotional Bentley.
He went on to say that the children’s park in the ward was in dire need of a facelift and blamed the lack of recreational activities as a cause of the drug-use. Many of the youth were also present at the march, their message clear: ‘Save our community!’ Upon receiving the memorandum, Speaker of Council, Samkhelisiwe Yende thanked the Fairleigh community and pledged the municipality’s support.“Drug abuse remains a societal issue which we all need to fight together as a united block. As a municipality we will continue to rally our sister departments, such as Social Development and the SAPS to help us strengthen our efforts in fighting this societal problem,” she said. Sanele Ndlovu, District Programmes Manager for Educational Support Services Trust, says that there is no specific solution for this ongoing social ill.
.“On a personal note, one of the most important parts we can play as a community is being there for the youth without being judgemental towards them. As a community, we need to accept the current way of living which differs from how things were done 20 years ago. Our youth have become more and more inquisitive,” said Ndlovu. He further explained that peer pressure also plays a big role. “When youth are influenced by their friends or peers to find a sense of acceptance in a specific group, it becomes problem. There are also those who have become addicts due to seeking an escape from reality. This is caused by circumstances they face in their homes such as physical or emotional abuse that they receive from family members,” he said. Ndlovu said that there is still hope for young people to positively change their lives and that everyone should unite and share resources to support those in need of help. If you are in need of help for substance abuse, call the South African Substance Abuse Toll-free Hotline on 0800-121-314 or text 32312.
