Bishop Collen Mufamadi from the Redemption Apostolic Church in Gogobole has been showing great compassion for those who have fallen victim to drug addiction. He uses his house as a rehabilitation facility for young nyaope addicts to help them find their way back to leading normal lives again.
Since the 2000s, nyaope has been growing in popularity, turning more and more young people, mostly from poor and working-class families, into addicts.
This year, Mufamadi made the decision to start helping these young people tackle their drug addiction by connecting them to treatment at his home in Ha-Ramantsha. So far, he has helped 50 boys from Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Vhembe. He also acts as their mentor and provides them with the needed support even after they leave rehabilitation.
The addicts stay with Mufamadi for four months. Those who are still in school are allowed to go to school and come back to his house. They are steamed with herbal teas to cleanse them, and Mufamadi also counsels them.
He says that drug addiction is a crisis that demands all citizens to join in to help improve the standard of life for the people who suffer from it. "Our support shows that we love them, plus, they need to live," he said.
An ex-drug addict, who does not want to be named, says accessing nyaope is not the problem. "The problem is getting money to buy it. If only they let us continue doing odd jobs, we wouldn't have the urge to commit crime for money. This drug will make you do things you will regret because it's difficult to cope with the pain associated with the cravings. Imagine being in that state for two weeks? I have no choice but to steal."
He is appealing to the government to also provide help and support for drug addicts during the rehabilitation period. "It's quite difficult now. I mean, the crime rate is bound to increase. Like in many areas, you will find young nyaope addicts sitting somewhere on corners, always planning: 'where can we get money?' So they steal and get arrested and then get beaten up by the police officers. The only thing they can do is to steal. That's what I have observed," he said.