Drugs. They do not discriminate. They ask no age, name, title or gender. They infiltrate horizontally and vertically in any hierarchy or level of the community. They respect no boundaries; obey no laws not made by themselves. Masters of-disguise, they have many names, forms, faces, colours. Talking business with them is talking death. The longer in their service the lower you stoop. They exponentially destroy wherever they move, a destruction most of the time only realised when viewed in retrospect.

A welfare worker of Drugwise, Ms Jill Stander, said that two out of three children use drugs (Beeld, 19 Sept, 1998). The South African Narcotics Bureau (SANAB) arrested a seven-year-old for possession and a dealer of 12 years. Five to ten minors appear weekly in Pretoria courts for possession of or dealing in drugs (Saturday Star, 1 Aug, 1998). According to drug counsellors, a trend is emerging in the drug habits of South African teenagers: in the past they started with cannabis (also known as marijuana/dagga) and moved on to heavier drugs, but many are now trying cocaine first. Supt Lobo das Neves, Unit Commander of SANAB West Rand says he arrested teenagers for possession ­ after parents had given them "money specifically for drugs". (Supt Das Neves has served 17 years in the SAPS, and is currently busy with a doctorate in Criminal Justice at Hawthorne University , USA ). The cocaine mass SANAB confiscated in 1994 was 69 563 kg and in 1998 635 208 kg powder and 3 825 crack rocks (a refined form of cocaine). (Please note that the figures given here do not reflect the quantity of drugs confiscated by members of the Uniform Branch.) In Beeld of 3 April, 1997 it is said that the international illegal drug trade generates 4% of the world economy and its monetary worth is double that of the global oil empire, with a R4 500 milliard annual turnover. Supt André Koch of the SAPS Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Pretoria says they receive an average of 800 samples a month to analyse. In 1993 cocaine cases formed 1% of the total number of cases. In 1998 it was 10%. One amphetamine related case was investigated in 1993 compared to 200 cases in 1998. According to Supt Casper Venter of the FSL in Cape Town , they have an increase especially in Ecstasy and cocaine related cases. He is concerned about the growing number of clandestine factories (illegal laboratories) that are being found. In an article in Mail & Guardian of May 1997, T Ryan came to the conclusion that the illicit drugs trade has the potential to significantly destabilise South African society. Due to problems with the system of death registration in South Africa , no recent information is available on drug-related deaths.

According to the workers at The House, the Drop-In Centre and the Shelter in Hillbrow, A flood of Nigerian and Iranian dealers came to setup shop in Hillbrow - they brought with them cocaine and heroin. Within a few months our children were taught how to cook their own crack ... In the past the phenomenon of teenage "drug whores", used to be a white problem - crack changed this overnight. A flood of young black girls joined the ranks of the (what came to be termed in the vulgar language of the street) "coke-whores"... Our staff work amidst the dynamics of the illicit drug and sex trade and we lose about 30 per year to murders and drug-related deaths. (http://www.acapa.org.za/thehouse.htm)

Climbing the money ladder with crime
South Africa has always been a major supplier of marijuana to markets in Europe, North America and Asia and the world's number one Mandrax consumer. It has been seen as a major drug consumer market since 1994. South Africa is not only an important transit route, shipping heroin from Asia and cocaine from Latin America to Europe and the United States , but a spillover place for the overstocked drug market of the rest of the world.

According to Parry, CDH, Pluddemann, A. (1999). Drug abuse in South Africa : A country profile . Parow: Medical Research Council, hereafter referred to as the Medical Research Council technical report, 1999, the drugs most used and abused in SA (excluding alcohol and tobacco) are cannabis, methaqualone (Mandrax), over the counter prescription medicines, volatile solvents and cocaine. According to their report, drugs used to a less­er extent are heroin, Speed, LSD, hashish and Ecstasy.

The development of the drug trade is dependent on an interaction between the syndicate ("drug lords"), the drug, the dealer, the junkie and the environment. In that case South Africa has it all. After the election in 1994, South Africa has entered an inwardly focussed phase; transformation brings its pressures and sometimes unexpected consequences which most of the time result in crisis management. There was the boom in the free trade, the legal and illegal cross-border movement of people, pervasive economic problems in other African countries (cross-border smuggling), legal and illegal immigration, more international flights, high crime levels, sophisticated banking systems/facilities for money laundering, availability of automatic weapons, cellphone technology and advanced communication systems. Along with this, a 45% unemployment rate and uncertainty about the future attracted the attention of the international drug cartels. Communities with high unemployment, low quality housing and few resources are places where trade in the cheaper drugs flourishes. Dagga offers temporary relief from pain and hunger, but can lead to permanent insanity. Prostitutes are big consumers of especially cocaine/crack.

The influx of illegal immigrants is estimated at two million a year (Insig, May 1996). Nigerians are recognised as the hub of especially cocaine smuggling in South Africa . According to a report of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in 1998, approximately 45 000 to 100 000 Nigerians are living in South Africa. They are concentrated primarily in Gauteng, especially in Hillbrow, Yeoville and Berea . According to the Nigerian High Commission, there are only 700 legally registered Nigerians in South Africa ( Crime & Conflict , Spring, 1998). Insp. Bendeman of Hillbrow SAPS said there are many Nigerians with refugee status or temporary working permits.

Nigerians successfully recruit locals to sell drugs. If you come to a stop street in Hillbrow, don't be surprised if two to three runners immediately appear to sell you the drug of your choice. A member of SANAB said Nigerians continue running the drug trade even in jail. The only difference is that it's in hard cash. They are highly organised, extremely clever and inventive smugglers. Nigerians arrested on drug charges in 1998 at SANAB Johannesburg Central amounted to 180 out of 650 suspects.

According to Supt Das Neves, South Africa officially asked Nigeria for help and they replied: Hang them . Research shows that until about four years ago Nigeria meted out the death penalty to drug dealers. Today the minimum penalty is 25 years in jail. South Africa 's maximum penalty for dealing in illicit drugs is 25 years.

Nigerian syndicates are also involved in many other forms of international criminal activity. According to Supt Das Neves 60% of female prisoners in London are Nigerians. The FBI has a specialist unit to deal with Nigerian-related crime.

Drugs are part of the rave scene. Especially Ecstasy is a growing industry in South Africa and is promoted as a "soft drug" which can do "no or very little harm". There can be up to 25 000 people at a big rave and the SAPS just don't have enough people to police proactively.

The international drug cartels have been carefully monitoring the situation for years. Was the shield of the so-called apartheid years in this case a blessing?

Drugs, Violence and Crime
In the early nineties nearly 40 000 Colombians died due to drug related violence.

Violence in the drug trade has many faces. Among themselves violence is used for the purpose of power and control. They operate by fear, their own "laws of the street". If you can't pay, you are tortured or killed. "There is the violence between the drug dealers and the community, most of the time violent confrontation between activists and drug lords”. This is the Crime Information Management Centre (CIMC) perspective on the gang-related violence in the Eastern Cape during 1997: The gang-related violence is directly linked to the Mandrax market. The opposing gangs commit acts of violence to secure the largest possible share of the drug market and to maintain dominance in their respective territories .

Narco terrorism is a term coined to describe the violent clashes between drug dealers and law enforcement officers. Pretoria SANAB offices were burnt down in 1998 in an attempt to destroy evidence. Police officers receive death threats on a daily basis. Working undercover can become a problem if you must appear in court and afterwards work on the street again.

Are we creating a generation what will attempt to solve problems with violence?

According to the Medical Research Council technical report, 1999, of the 89 089 sentenced prisoners in South Africa on 14 Oct 1998 , 4484 (5.03%) were incarcerated for drug-related offences. Over 59% were also sentenced for other crimes.

Almost half (46.6%) of the participants in a national study of prisoners indicated that they had taken alcohol and/or drugs immediately before or at the time of committing the offence for which they were incarcerated.

Impact on the Community
Nobody knows exactly how many, where, when and how. In Trinidad, Latin America , the lifestyle has changed from fishing and farming to corruption, violence and addiction as drug consumption increased. Violence and fear are used to control drug lord's territories. For many it becomes a way of life.

Drug-dealing is a means to earn an income. It promises an easy way to wealth, which the conservative economy currently fails to do. Drug prices depend on demand and supply and mark up on drugs from the retail price can be up to 300%. The prices differ from area to area: Cocaine: R250-R280 per gram, Crack/rocks: R50-R70 (0,1-0,3 g); heroin: R180 per 1 gram, hashish: R1-80 per gram, " Durban poison": (dagga zol) R5, Dagga cobs: R30, LSD: R30-R40, Mandrax: R30-R40, Wellconal; R20-R30, Ecstasy: R40-R180. Drugs are available everywhere; it is only the types that differ according to the different communities. Especially the youth's exposure to drugs is enormous. A suspect awaiting trial said he needed R8 000 per month to buy crack. A rehabilitated cocaine addict said she spent R94 000 in a seven month period on drugs. A 17-year­old in Phoenix House Rehabilitation Centre said an addict would even sell his own mother for money.

The Law
The maximum penalty for drug dealing in South Africa is 25 years. (Since the commencement of the Act nobody in reported cases has been sentenced to 25 years.) The maximum penalty for the possession of drugs is 15 years in prison. Both of these can be coupled with an unlimited fine. Section 7 of the Act dealing with the Prevention of Organised Crime, Act 121 of 1998, makes provision for an obligation to report information regarding the proceeds of crime.

According to Supt das Neves, South Africa officially asked Nigeria for help and the replied: Hang them. Research shows that until about four years ago, Nigeria meted out the death penalty to drug dealers. Today the minimum penalty is 25 years in jail. .South Africa 's maximum penalty for dealing is in illicit drugs is 25 years.

But according to a former dealer in Phoenix House Rehabilitation Centre, it doesn't matter if you are caught with even 150 tablets. The next day you are out on bail. Money isn't a problem. In their worship of Mammon the drug lords are worlds, removed from the junkie (and the law enforcement officer) on the street.

Supt Das Neves shares the opinion of many that legislation isn't strict enough. According to him the legislation in Malaysia and Japan is very strict, and that is one of the reasons why they have such a low crime rate. It's difficult to draw comparisons because every case must be judged on its own merits: a person in New York can be sentenced to 40 years in jail for possession of 1 kg cocaine. A member of SANAB Pretoria said a 20-year-old local was sentenced to 12 years for being in possession of 3 kg cocaine.

The Bill of Human Rights also colours the picture. In the past if a man had 115 g of cannabis/marijuana, he could be charged with "Dealing in cannabis/marijuana". Now he has the right to privacy. The police must prove that he deals in drugs.

SANAB

The special Unit of the SAPS is understaffed and under funded. The situation is summed up by Supt Das Neves: New York has a population of seven million. Thirty eight thousand police officers and 1 500 law enforcement officers from federal and city bodies are deployed especially to enforce drug laws on a daily basis. Johannesburg, Soweto and the West Rand have a population of eight million with 12 000 police officers (SANAB officers included). SANAB Johannesburg Central works, according to the Unit Commander Supt Brits, an average of 14 hours a day. They recovered drugs to the value of R400 000 in February 1998. According to Capt Van As of SANAB Port Elizabeth they are 50% understaffed. The 18 members already work 720 hours overtime, without payment.

According to the Unit Commander SANAB Umfolozi (Richards Bay) in Kwazulu-Natal, Capt Turketti, eight police officials must cover the area from the Tugela river to Ponta do Ouro (Mozambique) in the north, an area of approximately 55 000 km. The biggest seaport in the Southern Hemisphere, three border posts and 49 uncontrolled landing strips are part of the area.

A 1997 study by the Department of Home Affairs, noted that of South Africa 's 97 points of entry, only 17 were fully covered by customs, immigration and the SAPS. Thirty three airports have no coverage by any of these agencies ( Crime & Conflict , Spring, 1998)

At the moment members of SANAB are not only tasked to curb the drug trade, but must also handle offences relating to liquor, prostitution, gambling, pornography, the control of medicine, publication and copyright, homeopaths, medical practitioners and dentists, customs and films.

The SAPS signed a collaboration agreement in 1998 with Frank Albert of The United Nations International Drug Control pro­gramme regarding the training of South African police officers. Hopefully this will address the training problem. Senior Supt George Mason (National Head: SANAB) confirmed that there are no specific criteria for SANAB members. The problem is, one can't send a duck to an eagle school.

According to Sup Das Neves, he has been issued with the same equipment as that which one needs to investi­gate a bicycle theft. Equipment issued does not meet the minimum requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act 85 of l993). He must pay for the "honour" of being a Unit Commander at SANAB. Out of his own pocket he bought a camera, cellphone, laptop and a multi­media projector to present professional lectures. He says the average criminal has more money, equipment and training than an officer at SANAB.

Many of the SANAB members bought their own cellphones and pay the accounts, because their lives often depend on it. In 1998 a SANAB investigator had to cough up R150 for a weekend's transport, because of a shortage of vehicles.

South Africa is trying, but…
South Africa is fighting a growing industry that leads to death in more ways than one. HIV infected needles are just one other issue. The Department of Welfare has cut budgets on subsidies for rehabilitation centres for drug addiction and many had to close. Law enforcement efforts are severely hampered by the lack of human, logistical and financial resources. The National Drug Advisory Board was expected to implement the National Drug Master Plan towards the end of 1998.

In August 1997, Supt Lobo das Neves sent a strategy to curb the drug problem to Head Office. A letter from the Area Commissioner's Office to acknowledge receipt of the document is the only feedback he has received since.

Conclusion
SA has now been out of international isolation for five years. In retrospect, we are shocked to see the increasing destruction associated with illicit drugs and its effect on the social and economical state of South African society. Implications can in the long term stretch far beyond the provision of houses, water, electricity, schools, jobs etc. The illicit drug trade will be an obstacle in the implementation of any government project like the RDP. Isn't it time to look beyond making the police the scapegoat for the crime problem in South Africa ?

Is there any chance of a real commitment from the political spectrum to address these issues? Do the policy makers and those who put it into practice have any idea of the extent of the problems and the responsibility resting on their shoulders?

Major types of drugs encountered in South Africa

The information in this article has been transcribed verbatim from the following publication:
Servamus – Community edition – Drugs and Occult Related Crime – The Facts – The Answer.

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