By Ragheema Mclean
A distressing incident in Elsies River has brought attention to the escalating drug crisis among children on the Cape Flats.
The discovery of an eight-year-old boy intoxicated with cocaine has triggered urgent responses from local authorities and community leaders.
Speaking on VOC Breakfast Leonsdale ward councillor Franchesca Walker, said the child’s grandmother approached her for assistance in locating him.
“The boys granny came to me and requested some assistance to look for him. After being missing from home for 2-3 days, I mobilized other community leaders to assist in the search.”
Walker said that fortunately, he was found while they were conducting ward duties, however visibly under the influence of drugs.
“There are a lot of adults in our community who use drugs, most of the time it is parents who use drugs and that is how the children fall into the same trap.”
The child was swiftly taken to the Tehillah Centre for a drug test, revealing shocking results.
CEO of the centre, sister stated, “The child tested positive for multiple drugs, including mandrax, tik, heroin, and cocaine.”
Kleyn noted that further investigation revealed the accessibility of cocaine to children, with prices as low as R50 and R20.
Meanwhile, spokesperson for the Elsies River Community Policing Forum (CPF), Imraahn Mukaddam, said that there is great concern as to why expensive drugs are easily accessible in the community.
“We are seeing a correlation between the increase availability in addictive drugs and the increase of violence in the community.”
Last week, a 24-year-old female was gunned down, and three others were wounded in Leonsdale.
In response, Mukaddam said that they had also called a community imbizo to explore viable solutions to combat the drug epidemic and violence shootings to ensure the safety and well-being of residents.
VOC News
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