What are municipal election candidates and their political parties doing to tackle the problem of drug lords and drugs?

By Marimuthu Subramoney
aka Subry Govender




While the different political parties and their candidates go about their merry ways to woo voters for the forthcoming local government elections, one of the key questions being asked is how many of them are raising and tackling the issue of drugs and drug lords?
Almost all densely-populated areas such as Belvedere, Belgate, Hambanathi, Brake Village and Watsonia in Tongaat; Trenance Park, Mountview and Waterloo in Verulam; Phoenix, Chatsworth, Umlazi, KwaMashu, and Merebank in Durban are infested with drug lords, dealers and their agents.
They operate with almost total impunity despite the fact that they are well-known in the different communities.
These parasitic worms have been sucking the blood of our people for decades and in the process have succeeded in destroying thousands of families.
The police, with some exceptions, appear to be indifferent or just don't feel that the drug lords are a danger to the social fabric of our society.
It's against this background that one would have expected the ANC, DA, IFP and other parties to prioritise the fight against drugs and drug lords in their manifestos.
But sadly not one of them or their candidates appear to see this issue as a serious problem.
In fact, in a latest development, the ANC-controlled eThekweni Municipality's Metro Police has withdrawn a unit of its Crime Prevention Division that has been reportedly doing excellent work in targeting drug lords in Chatsworth.
The unit members have been reportedly re-deployed to Umlazi to write traffic fines.
Questions are being asked why the unit members are being removed when they are doing a fantastic piece of work in curbing the drug lords and their illegal and nefarious business?
While one can only speculate as to the real reasons for the withdrawal of a police unit that is targeting drug lords, there are fears that maybe certain people would like to see communities like Belvedere, Watsonia, Trenance Park, Mountview, Phoenix, Chatsworth and Merebank become embroiled in drugs and other anti-social activities instead of concentrating on a better life for their families and children!
The ANC, DA, IFP, the other parties and their candidates must be taken to task for what appears to be their total silence on this crucial social issue. What are they doing to dispel allegations that the drug lords are being allowed to operate with impunity because some members of the police are on the take?
The residents in the communities concerned expect the political parties and their candidates to inform them of what actions they intend to take to root out this menace.
If they are unable to respond positively, then they should not expect the already disenchanted ratepayers and others to take them seriously. - Subry Govender