Pubdate: Tue, 24 May 2005
Source: Mail and Guardian (South Africa)
Copyright: Mail & Guardian, 2005
Contact:  http://www.mg.co.za/mg/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/254
Author: Richard Davies

PARLIAMENT HEARS OF TIK 'DEVASTATION'

The spiralling use of the drug "tik" in South Africa, especially among the
youth, came under the spotlight in Parliament on Tuesday, with Minister of
Correctional Services Ngconde Balfour vowing to "break the back" of those
peddling the deadly substance.

"The pushers and dealers are in our communities, wreaking havoc," he said,
opening debate on his department's Budget vote in the National Council of
Provinces.

Thousands of youths and school-going children, especially in the Western
Cape, are caught up in using the habit-forming drug.

"It is causing devastation in our communities, with teachers having to deal
with scores of cases on a daily basis. There are even cases where mothers
and fathers are sharing tik with their children," he told MPs.

Some children are resorting to theft and crime in order to satisfy their
craving. Many of them are being criminally charged and end up in prison.

Balfour said no child should be imprisoned for using tik.

"They should be in programmes in our communities, helping them to break this
cruel habit."

While he has no place for children in his department's prisons, Balfour said
he will certainly make space "for those who perpetrate these deeds against
our youth".

"No prison will be too overcrowded to break the back of those who deal in
the misery of our people through dealing in and selling drugs such as tik to
our children," he said.

According to media reports on Tuesday, the use of tik has reached "epidemic"
proportions in some areas of the Western Cape. Certain Cape Town schools are
battling to cope with the problem.

Speaking in the National Council of Provinces, Balfour also called for the
active involvement of communities "to tackle the issue of prison gangs and
related violence".

This is a major challenge facing his department.

"If we want to succeed with the rehabilitation of offenders, [we must]
tackle head-on the scourge of prison gangs."

While prison gangs exist throughout the country, they are "especially strong
in the Western Cape and Gauteng".

Their existence is linked to street gangs that operate within communities.

"Again, our young people are most susceptible to the influences of these
gangs, and it is not uncommon to find primary-school children being caught
up and involved in the gang network," he said.

There are also plans in place to move gang leaders from prisons such as
Pollsmoor to a maximum-security prison in Boksburg, well outside the area of
their gangs' operations.

On overcrowding in South Africa's prisons, Balfour said the total inmate
population on February 28 this year was 187 000, while prison capacity was
113 825.

A total of 52 000 were awaiting-trial prisoners, and 135 000 sentenced
offenders.

"It means that about four out of every 1 000 South Africans are incarcerated
at any given time. This should give ... a fair idea of the enormity of the
challenge of overcrowding," he said. -- Sapa
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