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Drugs.
Gauteng Social Development MEC, Faith Mazibuko, has called on parents of young people who have struggled with substance abuse to support them after completing rehabilitation programmes. More than 10,000 substance abusers have been rehabilitated across centres in Gauteng.
[Watch]@FaithMazibukoSA addressing parents and beneficiaries outlining the purpose of the#BaKae #KeMoja #Imfinewithoutdrugs#SayNotoSubstanceAbuse programme pic.twitter.com/WxoUtSg1J4
— Social DevelopmentGP (@gpgSocDev) September 12, 2025
Mazibuko was speaking during a campaign held in Soweto on Friday, aimed at reconnecting with individuals who have successfully completed drug rehabilitation and after-care programmes.
She says the department spends over R30,000 to rehabilitate a single substance abuse user.
“Those that have gone to the rehab centers before are being tracked, because there is a lot of temptation when they come back to the townships. They find themselves relapsing due to unemployment, sometimes no trust from family members, and others end up feeling disillusioned. Unfortunately they end up being recruited back by the syndicates that were actually selling drugs to them.”
Mazibuko says they are also working with a number of NPOs to provide skills development after rehabilitation.
“We also want to link them to those NPOs so that they go and do skills development so that they will be able to find job opportunities.”
VIDEO | Gauteng govt working hard to deal with substance abuse
