22 May 2024

Government is mounting an all-inclusive assault to declare a war on drugs and reduce the violence and other criminal activity associated with the illicit drug trade.

This was said by Director General of the newly established Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Mr Phemelo Ramakorwane during an inaugural public campaign meeting convened at the Gabane Kgotla on Tuesday.

The establishment of the DEA was government’s clear plan that it wanted to fight the menace by attacking it on many fronts.

Addressing residents of Gabane, Mr Ramakorwane said they intended to uproot the illicit trade and that his organization was making an outreach to communities countrywide to provide long lasting solutions to redress the situation.

“The intention is to travel around the country and later set up a steering committee that would look into ideas and opinions suggested in various Kgotla meetings and to present those at a general meeting yet to be scheduled,” added Mr Ramakorwane.

He said approaching communities through consultative fora such as the Kgotla would bear fruit as Batswana had overcome many past obstacles such as HIV and Aids and Covid-19 through dialogue.

“We wish to engage our community leaders and propose interventions on the high disturbing proliferations of illicit drugs. We also need to empower our young people to lead form the front and assume positions of responsibilities as the hardest hit age group,” he said.

Mr Ramakorwane said various interventions had already been proposed and had just signed a MoU with the Ministry of Education on how best to reach out to schools with their drug interventions measures even privately owned institutions.

He said the proliferation of drugs into the country was a cause for concern and pleaded with the community to report any cases of illicit drug dealing to expose the rot.

DEA Director of Education and Outreach, Mr Motshereganyi Sefanyetso applauded the contribution of the community in their public campaign meeting. He said community participation in formulating long lasting solutions to curb drug abuse was vital.

For his part Kgosi Seeletso Pule of Gabane said his community was hard hit by the rampant distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol abuse.

He said drugs posed danger to public security, peace and stability among his charges. He added that in order to avoid the long arm of the law some who were trading in drugs disguised as selling sweets.

Kgosi Pule said some liquor outlets were alleged to have turned into drug cartels hence the rise in reported cases of social ills such as gender based violence and murder.

He said rehabilitating those who were already addicted was costly and still remained a challenge. He challenged morafe to help DEA advance their mandate and assist where possible because they couldn’t do it alone.

DEA was established in accordance with Section V of the Illicit Traffic in Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Act of 2018.

The Agency is mandated to collect, collate and disseminate information on illegal use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

Moreover, DEA is authorised to receive, investigate any complaint of alleged or suspected breach of the Act and address and advise government ministries and departments, public bodies, institutions, companies, statutory bodies and corporations on ways and means of preventing prohibited activities relating to narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. ENDs.