Do not do drugs - former addict

A former drug addict, who turned over a new leaf, is living testimony that those hooked on drugs can free themselves if this is done timeously.

At one stage, Mr Mpho Makua of Burgersfort used to own a beautiful house and an expensive vehicle but lost everything after being hooked on drugs.

Makua (36), who did time in a Johannesburg prison because of a robbery he committed to finance his addiction, has today overcome his addiction, and he is a living embodiment that one can do away with drugs and lead a normal life.

He is today an anti-drug campaigner and ambassador under the banner of Munna Ndi Nnyi Men’s Forum. He goes to communities to inform them of the dangers of drugs.

On Tuesday, together with the local police and Munna Ndi Nnyi Men’s Forum’s Bardwell Mufunwaini, he visited Shayandima Secondary School to inform the learners of the dangers of drugs.

Shayandima area has been identified as one of the most drug-infested areas in Vhembe, where drugs of all sorts are readily available on street corners.

Makua told the learners of his true-life story, telling them that at one stage he was a respected businessman with a beautiful house and expensive cars and lots of cash. “God blessed me at a very young age, and I used to get lucrative tenders worth lots of money. I had everything in life, but I misused the opportunity granted to me by God and started doing drugs with the who’s who of Gauteng.”

He said that he wasted his money and he was left with nothing. “I had to sell my beautiful mansion and cars for next to nothing just to finance my bad habit of drugs. I used all the money I had and had to resort to stealing, so I ended up getting arrested,” he said.

He further indicated that he spent a year and half awaiting trial for robbery and ended up serving two years in prison.

He was released on parole in 2004 and went straight for rehabilitation and then requested to work with Munna Ndi Nnyi on drug-abuse awareness. “I can tell you now, drugs will destroy your lives. I have been through it, I lost my everything and nearly ended up losing my life.”

He urged the pupils to stop using drugs “before it is too late.”

Captain Makondelele Tshishonga, the sector commander at Shayandima, told learners to stop bringing guns, knives, and drugs to school as they would be arrested and lose their future. “Please do not form gangs and bully each other, as these are crimes.”

Munna Ndi Nyi Men’s Forum chairperson Mr Bardwell Mufunwaini said they were targeting schools as they were found to be havens for drugs.

He urged learners to concentrate on their education and desist from the dangers of using drugs.

News - Date: 21 May 2018

Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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