From a distance, he looks like a walking skeleton, heading slowly towards their special smoking zone on the banks of the Mvudi River, just half a kilometre from the Thohoyandou CBD. When he arrives, his friends are already sharing the deadly nyaope drug through 'Bluetooth', cringing each time the needle penetrates the skin. But upon arrival, the skeleton-looking young man merely starts laughing and asks his friends if the stuff is really strong.
This is the daily routine of the Thohoyandou Nyaope Boys - wasting their lives away for a never-ending ride on the nyaope dragon's back.
Benedict* agreed to an exclusive interview with the Limpopo Mirror but immediately asked for money. Very politely this request was refused. Though he claims to be clean after spending some time in rehab, it was very clear from the onset what the money would be used for.
Benedict, who was born and bred in the Vhembe region, started smoking nyaope in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, a few years ago. He said the first signs for parents to look for to know if their children are using nyaope are a loss of appetite for food, and cash and household items (utensils, clothes, etcetera) disappearing.
"Addicts will sell anything to get money to buy nyaope. This drug makes it difficult to eat pap and meat. You survive on biscuits, Sweet Aid and other liquid stuff," Benedict said.
"Another sign that gives them away is when they start to go out without bathing, and eventually stop bathing altogether, because when you have taken nyaope, your body itches whenever it comes into contact with water. Nyaope addicts even pray for it not to rain, because when it rains, they experience terrible discomfort. You will scratch your body for the whole day and it becomes very painful.
"Nyaope also makes you so weak that you cannot even participate in sexual activity. In fact, you end up dead as far as sex is concerned. I have been clean for at least 14 months now, but my sex drive is still gone."
He says the longer someone uses the drug, the more it kills the taste buds and other senses. "After a while, you don't even feel anything after you have smoked nyaope. That is when you have to use an injection to feel high. You start by injecting yourself in the hands. After a while, when they become numb and your veins no longer respond either, you move on to the legs. When they get used to nyaope too, you have one last resort, and that is to inject yourself in the private parts which, of course, is very painful," he said.
When asked about the 'Bluetooth' method used, he explained: "It is just like transferring files or music from one computer or cellphone to another." This happens when one addict injects nyaope into his veins and then draws his own blood back up the needle and injects it into a friend. This is considered a cheap way to share a high.
When asked if they do not worry about the high risk of transmitting diseases from one person to another, Benedict replied: "Nyaope is no jol. It is a very dangerous drug. I have seen people lose their jobs, property and even lives because of this drug. My advice to anyone would be to not even start."
*Not his real name