Central Drug Authority 2023/24 Annual Report; National Drug Master Plan update; with Deputy Minister

Meeting report

Minister’s opening remarks

Mr Ganief Hendricks, Deputy Minister of Social Development (DSD), introduced the Central Drug Authority (CDA) team, and said the Authority played a crucial oversight and coordination function in combating harmful substance use and illicit drug trafficking. Established under the Prevention and Treatment for Substance Abuse Act 70 of 2008, the CDA monitors and oversees the implementation of plans directed by the National Drug Master Plan (NDMP).

The CDA wished to do more in the fight against substance abuse, but this needed budgetary line items which the DSD did not have. There was a need for stronger oversight and coordination within his portfolio, and he was seeking legal advice on what coordination involved. He wanted guidance from the Select Committee on this matter.

The new five-year NDMP would focus on prevention measures to ensure that future generations are drug-free due to strategies implemented today.

The Deputy Minister called for “one plan” and to do away with silos, and have one tier of government in the next phase of the National Development Plan (NDP). A District Development Model (DDM) was also needed to develop a new NDMP

Various role-players fitted into the structure to fight the scourge of drug addiction -- the CDA, backed by its own legislation, the DSD, and the Local Drug Action Committees (LDACs), which were the constitutional mandate of mayors responsible for providing them with funding and resources. Only 10% of mayors had complied by forming LDACs, which comprised the heart of the five-year NDMP at street level. This was “killing the heart” of the five-year NDMP, and Deputy Minister Hendricks regarded this failure as an act of “sabotage.”

Nine provincial units across the country had budgets and were responsible for dealing with substance abuse. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and non-profit organisations (NPOs) also played a key role in the work carried out. However, in what he deemed as a “controversial move,” he warned that these service providers would not enjoy funding from the government if they failed to provide 75% of their funds, resources and manpower on prevention.

The Deputy Minister said those already on drugs were regarded as “a lost cause,” and active drug users had crossed the Rubicon. He said a decisive strategy was needed, and a choice had to be made regarding efforts to protect children born in 2025 and the class of 2029 against illicit substance abuse addiction.

The magic words, “one plan and budget,” was required to govern all stakeholders, and there was a need to eradicate working in silos which he said was the real reason “absolutely no progress” had been made over the last ten years in fighting substance abuse and drug trafficking.

Provincial authorities would soon need to nominate members for the CDA board as it entered its final year of tenure, and the Select Committee on Social Services would likely feed into this process.

The CDA’s 2023/24 annual report had been tabled at the National Assembly on 13 March by the Portfolio Committee of Social Development, and it had been adopted with two recommendations:

• The establishment of an inter-ministerial committee to enhance coordination and accountability in addressing harmful substance abuse across government,
• The Minister of Social Development should engage with National Treasury towards a sustainable funding solution for the CDA, to ensure it had resources to fulfil its mandate effectively.

Deputy Minister Hendricks believed it was critical that the last year of tenure for the current CDA board was impactful by providing all the support needed for the body to perform its duties. This included strengthening its oversight function and ensuring its ability to coordinate effectively in addressing underfunding and interdepartmental collaboration.

The CDA had been informed to stop all money-driven activities in March. He said this was a blot on those responsible for stopping the CDA from embarking on any tasks that required money, such as paying for airfare and hotels. This was “not acceptable,” and a blot on those responsible for this instruction.

A new NDMP for 2025/2030 that would help the class to be drug-free was currently under development, to launch this financial year.

A new strategy would have to take into account past lessons and emerging challenges in harmful substance abuse intervention treatment, harm reduction and law enforcement. It was important that all stakeholders contributed to ensure that the next NDMP could be “robust, well-resourced and capable of making a real difference in communities."

He called for a critical assessment from groups like this Select Committee to advance the five-year NDMP.

CDA 2023/24 annual report presentation

Ms Nandi Mayathula-Khoza, Chairperson, and Ms Nomcebo Dlamini, Deputy Chairperson, presented the annual report and reflected on a year of significant achievements in combating substance abuse through the implementation of the NDMP, but also underscored additional challenges that needed to be addressed to enhance national efforts.

The vision of the NDMP was to work towards a South Africa free of drug abuse, embracing a balanced, integrated and evidence-based approach; that there was an investment in building safe communities; move to control the demand for and supply of harmful substances; effective control of substances used for therapeutic purposes and the emergence of new psycho-active substances; and coordinate and deliver effective government intervention.

The target populations for the CDA's work included women, children, pregnant women, the disabled, the prison population and drug addicts. Sixteen government departments worked in partnership to implement the NDMP.

The NDMP for 2023/24 had seven implementable goals:

• Demand reduction through prevention and treatment of drug use, misuse and abuse;
• Supply reduction through effective law enforcement and responding to drug-related crimes and countering money laundering;
• Control of drugs intended for therapeutic use;
• Identification and control of new psycho-active substances;
• Governance, leadership and accountability;
• Strengthening data collection, monitoring and evaluation and research; and
• Stimulate robust and sustainable economic growth aimed at reducing poverty, unemployment and inequalities.

Overview of drug use and trafficking challenges

Ms Mayathula-Khoza discussed the complexities of drug trafficking in South Africa, identifying key substances such as cannabis, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and synthetic drugs and their routes into the country. She emphasised the growing problem of synthetic drugs and the challenges posed by limited law enforcement and high urban demand. She also addressed the rising use of tobacco products, including hookah and vaping, particularly among the youth.

Overview of alcohol, tobacco use and smoking alternatives

She said alcohol abuse was also a problem, especially with binge drinking, which contributed to other social ills such as gender-based violence (GBV), domestic violence, underage drinking, health complications, and foetal alcohol syndrome.

Further, tobacco was also a concern, although it was legal to use it in South Africa. Adults were consuming the product, with high rates recorded among male users.

The use of the hookah or “water pipe” was also a problem, although the perception was that it was less harmful than traditional cigarettes. Ms Mayathula-Khoza said young people had lost their lives through its use, due to health risks. There was a drive to revisit the laws so that facilities that allow for the use of these products were regulated.

Similarly, vaping has also become a challenge, despite also being marketed as a healthier alternative to cigarettes. Ms Mayathula-Khoza said the use of these products posed a high likelihood of nicotine addiction, and the ingredients contained in vaping liquid also posed potential health risks to users.

Addressing drug abuse and trafficking

Ms Mayathula-Khoza discussed the government's recommendations for enhancing community-based harm reduction, including the introduction of opioid substitution therapy and stricter regulations on alcohol use. She noted the importance of inter-departmental collaboration, and reported on the participation of various departments in addressing drug abuse, while also highlighting challenges such as late submissions of reports from some departments.

Updates on the CDA’s functionality and challenges

Ms Mayathula-Khoza discussed the operational status of the CDA, noting the establishment of key committees and the challenges faced, particularly with LDACs. She pointed out the need for a national prevalence survey on drug use, which was currently limited by budget issues, and urged enhanced collaboration among departments to address drug-related challenges effectively.

(Please refer to the attached presentation for details)

Ms Isabella Sekawana, Acting Deputy Director-General (DG): Welfare Services, DSD, said the Director for Anti-Substance Abuse and Social Crime was meant to present a review of the NDPM as part of the presentation. However, the official could not fulfil this duty due to connectivity issues. The matter was deferred.

Discussion

Ms J Adriaanse (DA, North West) thanked the CDA delegation for an insightful presentation. However, she said that the budgetary allocation of R20 million was shocking. She believed the money would be better spent on prevention measures, thereby supporting Deputy Minister Hendricks’s earlier sentiments that prevention was better than cure. In many instances, especially with synthetic drug addiction, curing addiction was “next to impossible.” She largely agreed with the Deputy Minister that focusing on prevention was the correct approach, and encouraged hard work to fight addiction.

While success in the rehabilitation of drug addiction was said to be minimal, she suggested that it could certainly not be disregarded entirely. Fully functioning rehabilitation centres providing proper treatment to patients were a necessity. In many cases, the six-week programme remained “simply inadequate.” She highlighted the importance of an aftercare programme for patients, and called for further probing into the matter. She especially appreciated the focus on the LDACs.

Ms Adriaanse said it was unfortunate that in the North West, which was her home province, reports had not been submitted to the CDA. What were the reasons for this? She requested a report detailing the reasons. She said that in the North West province, there were private entities that wanted to establish drug rehab programmes without funding from the government, but they were struggling to gain accreditation from the provincial Authority.

Referring to a further point in the CDA’s presentation, she wanted clarity on the first implementable goal: “Drug demand reduction.”

Moving on in the presentation, detailing the role and performance of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), Ms Adriaanse noted that the state-contracted NGO, “Higher Health,” conducted post-school education and training (PSET) programmes with an allocation of more than R20 million, yet reached only 575 students. She admitted that, at first, she had been under the impression this was a typographical error. She wanted to know how this amount could be spent on education programmes, but only 575 students were reached. Based on these numbers, it would imply that the cost per student amounted to R35 833.05. What was the feedback on these students’ cases? She noted that substance abuse problems among students in the North West province were “massive.”

Based on the presentation, she said only 1 070 students took part in self-risk screening, while a mere 42 were referred for drug and alcohol abuse. Branching off by way of an anecdote, she referred to the number of motor vehicle accidents in Potchefstroom, where students were found to be under the influence of alcohol while driving. She conceded that while the students were not officially tested, alcohol could be detected by way of a pungent bodily smell.

Moving back to the CDA’s presentation, Ms Adriaanse noted that only two people were diagnosed with drug and/or alcohol addiction, while another two had received drug and alcohol counselling. Leaning on Deputy Minister Hendricks's prior point on prevention being the gold standard in the CDA’s approach, she asked where prevention could be found in these results, particularly considering the millions spent. What had happened here? Where was the money spent? How could it be that only 575 students had been reached? Were these numbers drawn from efforts through pamphlet drives and dialogue? If this was the case, the process would need revisiting, as the allocated budget was large. What was included in this rolled-out programme, because to her it seemed to be a wasteful expenditure.

Ms Adriaanse said her questions about the Cannabis Bill had been partly covered in the presentation. However, since a point in the presentation asserted that an increase in the use of cannabis had been detected since the Bill had been passed, had there been any direct links to an increase in crimes? She said that in the case of other drugs, a direct link between an increase in usage and crimes was common. Has any research been undertaken in this regard? While she had many questions arising from the presentation, she committed to submitting the rest of her questions in writing.

Ms L Arries (EFF, North West) asked about the measures the CDA had in place to curb the influence of social media on teenagers when it came to drug use.

The visibility of CDA programmes could not be seen on the street or in communities. What awareness programmes did the CDA have in place? Furthermore, how often had such programmes been carried out? She had not seen any.

She had concerns about the effectiveness of the CDA, as she believed the previous board had not really been functional and had many vacancies. Was there a need for this board, as she felt there was little impact on the ground? She wanted to know what measures were in place to monitor the effectiveness of the CDA.

A shortage of public drug rehabilitation centres was clear. Poorer families did not have the money to pay the high cost of privately owned drug rehab centres, which meant that some young people were sidelined. What plans were in place to ensure that every municipal boundary had drug rehab facilities? The reality was that young people were hooked on drugs and found themselves lost to society because their family’s financial circumstances prevented them from securing adequate treatment.

Were there any working relationships or Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) between the police and the CDA? She said communities were unsafe, which included the elderly, while others were being robbed as crime rates increased due to the scourge of drug addiction.

Could the CDA provide statistics on the number of people who have lost their lives due to drug addiction? None had been noted in the presentation. How regularly was the CDA furnished with updates about people who had died due to drug use?

Mr M Feni (ANC, Eastern Cape) highlighted the issue of cannabis and said its use was consistently conflated with drug use. This was even though strides had been made through legislative processes around the substance, and even though cannabis itself had placed people in a position where they could contribute economically through activities relating to its production.

He said there should be engagement and cooperation between the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Department of Health (DoH) to ensure consistent education for people. The South African Police Service (SAPS) continued to harass those trying to make ends meet through cannabis production-related activities. There were even people on trial, facing the risk of imprisonment due to consistent harassment by the police. Education could help to reduce such occurrences.

If adequate justice was not served in this regard, he believed the country would endure a never-ending cycle, while failing to recognise and act upon dangerous drugs that kill people versus legal use variants like cannabis. He wished to place special emphasis on the legal use and production of cannabis.

There were unresolved cases before courts which placed a further unwanted strain on the capacity in correctional centres. Some of these cases were being thrown out of court because they were found not to be comparatively serious.

Due to these factors, he believed education drives related to the use and production of cannabis in the country were critical.

Ms N du Plessis (DA, Gauteng) said some of her questions had been covered, but she requested clarity on a few points mentioned in the presentation.

She said it was essential that committees or boards were not frivolously established without effecting change on the ground.

Referring to a community she worked with in Johannesburg, where there was a high rate of drug use and the neighbouring ward was Eldorado Park, no support was given to the people and it seemed the CDA’s plans were not implemented on the ground. She asked for more insight into the plans and timelines to ensure that communities most at risk were taken care of.

Synthetic drugs were a “much bigger” crisis than the cannabis crisis, and she expressed concern about being tripped up in the conversation about cannabis partly because the topic was engaged worldwide. She believed this merely diverted attention from synthetic drugs, including heroin and cocaine -- synthetic drugs that were “literally eating people’s brains.”

She appreciated that the CDA’s presentation placed some emphasis on synthetic drugs, but urged that the role of synthetic drugs be discussed with a sharper focus when cannabis imposed a “lesser impact.”

There had been no mention of the needle programme in the presentation. Ms Du Plessis said she was aware that some metros were implementing programmes of this nature, but in areas such as Linden in Johannesburg, mismanagement of needle programmes remained. In this case, officials dropped many needles in a park and drove away. There was a need for responsible implementation of these delicate programmes.

She raised a point to the CDA about the practice known as “bluetoothing.” This occurred when the blood of someone high on drugs was drawn and inserted into another person’s circulatory system to alter the receiver’s state of mind.

She said the aspect of psycho-socio support also needed greater emphasis, and asked for more detail on the economic cluster and how best to support it.

Ms Z Ngcobo (MK, KwaZulu-Natal) thanked Deputy Minister Hendricks for the CDA report addressing the country's complex issue of substance abuse. She remained concerned about the effectiveness of the NDMP in achieving its goals, particularly considering the ongoing challenges faced by communities. Could the Deputy Minister provide a detailed breakdown of the progress made in implementing the NDMP, specifically about the seven goals outlined in the presentation?

She asked what measures would be taken to address the funding constraints and capacity challenges that may hinder the success of the implementation of the plan. How would the CDA ensure that its efforts were aligned with broader national development priorities?

Ms N Chirwa-Mpungose (EFF, Gauteng) said the questions she would pose were geared towards establishing the impact of the CDA’s work, especially since it had drawn attention to crucial aspects that hinder impactful work.

Considering the CDA’s stated intent to increase their work with stakeholder relations, she asked about the status quo on the matter. How were stakeholder relations cultivated with groups such as NGOs? Who were the current stakeholders, and did the pool include religious leaders and traditional leaders -- and to what extent? She called for a detailed account of what stakeholder relations looked like, and what their contributions were specifically in prevention and rehabilitation.

She asked how stakeholder relations had been cultivated in communities and intergovernmental relations, with specific emphasis on the true role of each stakeholder She said a lack of this insight could potentially lead one to believe that such relationships were simply lip service, and failed to contribute to impactful work on the ground.

Cautioning Deputy Minister Hendricks, she said the rehabilitation of patients should not play second fiddle to preventative measures because the government believed it was not winning the war on treating patients already addicted to drugs. She believed this sort of thinking was “quite dangerous.” When dealing with drug use, even the already addicted person who was in rehabilitative care was potentially a deterrent to deaths, pregnancy, infants and pregnancies being compromised by health issues and crime prevention. Actively engaging in harm reduction with people who were already using substances should be regarded as a prevention mechanism on its own. Abandoning or neglect of active drug users as part of the plan was “short-sighted,” and held a poor regard for the bigger picture.

Ms Chirwa-Mpungose suggested that many substance abusers were often themselves victims of their environments and external abuse. They were often victims of being forced into substance abuse practices, having experienced economic inequality. She maintained that they should not be overlooked because the government believed it was losing the fight on rehabilitation.

She called for a multi-faceted approach to dealing with substance abuse and harm reduction, and it appeared the CDA was unable to show that this was being done.

In what ways was the issue of mental health of substance users targeted by the CDA? She wanted to know what kind of social support and economic interventions were provided to such people.

While the information in the presentation suggested that a lot of work was being done, she suggested that Deputy Minister Hendricks and the CDA were aware that this was not the reality. Referring to Ms Adriaanse’s “very important” comment about R35 833.05. being spent on one student, she wanted to know what this substantial allocation had done for the student in real terms. Did the allocation include costs for accommodation and food? She wanted a more detailed brief on what the allocation had achieved for the student. Could it be that the money was paying salaries instead of paying for actual work and moving people off the streets?

She described the act of spending millions but showing very little impact of that work as “traumatic”. This made her believe that the same scourge of corruption that was haunting the country was also alive and well in the handling of substance abuse.

She also asked for feedback on how the money was used to carry out prevention programmes, and which platforms were used to reach people.

When dealing with young people, she suggested that they should not be dealt with in isolation, stressing that parents too needed to be brought into the fold. She asked to what extent they had been consulted at the implementation of prevention programmes.

Since the CDA’s presentation alluded to a stronger focus on prevention, she asked how exactly this work was being done.

Mr P Sibande (ANC, Mpumalanga) echoed the sentiments of the other Members in welcoming the report.

He suggested that there was a delink between the Department and the sector itself, which pointed to the notion that something could be amiss. Indicators showed that perhaps the sector itself had neglected its responsibilities.

He was pleased that Deputy Minister Hendricks had been open to indicating what their challenges were. The eradication of silos, starting with the district model, was a plan he agreed with. The question that remained was what measures had been taken to ensure that some of the concerns the Deputy Minister raised could be corrected.

What had been done to correct the issue of 10% of the mayors that were complying with the LDAC programme versus those who had moved to sabotage the NDMP by way of non-participation. He referred to the Deputy Minister's comment about "crossing the Rubicon," and said there should be an indication of which role-players had done so in order for the problem could be dealt with as it unfolded.

He supported the Deputy Minister's call for “one plan one budget”.

Regarding the Deputy Minister’s comment about the call for the CDA to cease spending during March, Mr Sibande asked how much had been lost and what the impact of this request had been for that period. He likened this act to fruitless and wasteful expenditure.

He had a concern relating to human resources, in that a director for the CDA had not been appointed. What measures had been implemented to attempt to fill this vacancy? It seemed no attempts had been made to ensure the position was filled. While the green light had been given in 2008, still no action was forthcoming.

Mr Sibande asserted that the presentation had revealed that no summit had been arranged since 2011. Why was this, and what had been done to remedy this issue? What was the response of the Department? The reason he had raised this question was so that the Department could be confronted.

Regarding South Africa working closely with the United States in the fight against drugs. Mr Sibande said internationally the country was a “laughing stock.” The US had in the past provided SA with support. SA had committed itself to work closely with them, yet some of the authorities had rejected its attempts. How had the US’s move to cut ties with South Africa affected the fight against drugs?

Regarding a failure by some departments and role-players to provide responses to the CDA, he asked what had been done about the economic cluster departments in this regard. He said some departments had also failed to respond to initial questions from Members in meetings, and had expected the questions to be written and submitted again. He said this should not be allowed to happen.

He agreed that the use of Hookah pipes and vaping was dangerous for users. This was illustrated when young people applied for jobs -- they would pass at the interview stage, but fail the health tests relating to the same job. He supported the view that this industry should be regulated.

Mr M Mokwele (ANC, Limpopo) said many positive strides were evident, based on the feedback from the CDA. He commended the appeal to departments and state groups to avoid working in parallel with each other, as well as the move to eradicate silos when fighting substance abuse. He said prior thinking, even within the government and amongst other role-players, was that it was the sole duty of the state to fight drug abuse.

He said it was now evident that cannabis could be used to heal certain ailments, despite prior stigmas. Highlighting the issue of age and the use of cannabis as a “thorny issue”, he shared that he had served as a member of a school governing body in his hometown. After the legalisation of cannabis, many learners began using the substance, and some had even baked cookies laced with cannabis which had resulted in some learners being admitted to hospital. He said issues such as this needed to be dealt with. While he was not against the legalisation of its use, awareness and terms of its use needed some addressing, as it could potentially cause health concerns in some instances.

He said a recent meeting with the health ministry had revealed that poor health of the populace would negatively affect the growth of the economy. He believed that collective strategies needed to be developed to curtail this problem.

Regarding the regulation of alcohol, he said that, as confirmed by other Members, stipulations from the relevant departments were not entirely clear. Using Limpopo as an example, he said authorities had stopped permitting the sale of alcohol within certain times to curb abuse. He conceded that it could not be stopped entirely, as it would harm regions economically. Liquor and cigarette sales also played a role in growing the economy, and therefore it was not wise to stop their sale entirely. Abuse of these substances, however, required a clear approach.

He said it benefited Members when the CDA presented a clear plan as to what could be done. Members of the Committee could then act according to the outline of the plan when they carried out roles of oversight, or acted in their respective positions of Authority.

Since his other questions had been covered by other Members, Mr Mokwele encouraged working together at all levels of government to ensure that the mission of the Department was realised to ensure a healthy society for the benefit of an economy that could operate optimally and grow.

Borrowing from a comment made by Mr Sibande relating to the feedback on questions -- written feedback in particular -- he said it was necessary to ring-fence a time when committees could deal with written feedback. He warned against a situation where government merely ticks boxes for the sake of compliance.

The Chairperson asked about awareness programmes on e-cigarettes and Hookah pipes since it was gaining popularity with the youth and their effects were relevant to them.

Further, what were the reasons provided when reports, including Master Sector Plans, were not submitted by departments to the CDA?

She requested that the CDA provide written responses to the questions asked by the Committee Members.

Ms M Bains (ANC, Western Cape) apologised for issues encountered with her connectivity but said she had been able to hear some of the questions posed, and could peruse the CDA’s presentation. She was partly covered by questions raised by other Members.

Touching on comments from Mr Mokwele, who had noted that great strides had been made based on the presentation, she also applauded the Department. She said working in silos was a major problem, and it appeared the CDA was crying out, urging role-players to work together, which was the goal.

Being involved in local drug coordination circles, she believed that she had a good understanding of the landscape. She had seen the act of sabotage of efforts and non-cooperation by communities playing out in the Western Cape. She had witnessed in person where some communities believed drug abuse was not a problem in their areas and did not cooperate. She called for empathy with people living in these communities and working on committees on the ground, and said that she was happy to be working with this group. Her plea was that they needed to stop the “blame game” between departments as she had witnessed the situation, especially in the Western Cape.

The Chairperson handed over to Deputy Minister Hendricks for responses.

DSD's responses

Deputy Minister Hendricks thanked the Members for raising critical issues and supported the Chairperson’s plea to respond to questions in writing and detail. He believed this would help the CDA on a way forward.

He said the CDA had “only one role to play,” and this involved oversight. Their role was to oversee 200 or 300 mayors doing their jobs. Their role was also to oversee the Department of Social Development doing its job and to oversee the nine provincial structures. It was also the responsibility of the CDA to oversee what NGOs and NPOs were doing, after which it was obligated to report on their observations. The CDA has done well in this respect in the past and even at present. The CDA’s job was not to “do any work whatsoever” but to oversee and report findings. It would be up to Parliament and the NCOP to take matters forward.

It appeared that some Members were disappointed that the CDA had failed to come up with programmes, when in fact its role was to oversee them. Deputy Minister Hendricks maintained that the CDA wished to do more, and while there was some overreach, he reiterated an earlier call for a “one plan, one budget” proposal.

If questions remained about why no progress had been made over the last ten to 15 years, then it would be best to ask the mayors, provincial structures, and the Department of Social Development -- one of the 20 governmental departments involved. The CDA would be able to give a report account of what the role-players were doing.

Moving on to address some of the key issues raised by Members, Deputy Minister Hendricks touched on the matter of cannabis and how the SAPS responded to the public’s use of the substance. He said SAPS should be allowed to do their work.

Recently Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, the Minister of Health, had issued regulations around the use of cannabis for medicinal use. While the Minister and the Department respected Parliament and the NCOP for allowing use for this purpose, Deputy Minister Hendricks maintained that the NCOP and Parliament had not undertaken an impact study on the effects of what had been legislated.

After seeing the effect of the legislation, Dr Motsoaledi had now “struck the first blow” by issuing tighter regulations, which had not been greeted with a positive response from the industry. This was further evident in the responses from Members of the Select Committee, who were upset about implementing checks and balances to the legislation which had opened the floodgates for cannabis use.

It was not wise to create ten jobs at the expense of losing 100 lives. He said this had been the effect of the legislation. Dr Motsoaledi had spoken about using the new laws to lace ice cream with cannabis when the substances originated from several parts of the cannabis plant. He said children were groomed to become the next generation of drug users, peddlers and even drug lords.

Addressing the Member who had highlighted the need for jobs and economic development within the context of the cannabis industry, the Deputy Minister reiterated that scores of lives should not be lost to create only a handful of jobs.

Regarding the impact of the NDMP and whether it had so far reduced the harmful effects of drug abuse, Deputy Minister Hendricks revealed that it had not done so, but that this assertion was not based on evidence. He called for research on whether the plans had had positive results. Despite having had several NDMPs already, the current version being the fourth, he said it would not be feasible to have many more met with only worsening results. He said it appeared that this was the trend, but he hoped that the next plan would work, with the assistance of the Select Committee.

Recapping on his prior points, he cautioned Members: “Don’t shoot the messenger, (when) they are coming to report to you.” He suggested they should withhold questions about implemented programmes and students at universities, as those questions were best posed to others who were responsible for these programmes. The CDA could be expected to report on these matters.

In terms of legislation around cannabis use and production, it was up to Health Minister Motsoaledi to take the lead, which he had undertaken to do. Deputy Minister Hendricks suggested that if the Minister had his way, he would “throw that legislation in the wastepaper basket.”

After all the hard work that had been done and the collective hope that the process had created for job creation and economic development, barely a year later, the Department of Health had already noticed the “disastrous effects” of cannabis.

He conceded that perhaps the substance could still play a credible role insofar as it being a plant with cultural importance and had helped with some illnesses, but then it would be best for the Act to confine itself to that and not open the doors to create ten jobs and kill a hundred.

CDA's response

Ms Mayathula-Khoza referred to the importance of prevention, and in response to Ms Adriaanse’s question, said this remained an important aspect of care, but agreed that it should be balanced with the actual treatment of patients, although “prevention remains better than cure.” She agreed that aftercare programmes remained important, as this was where people were strengthened and gained access to skills development training to better cope with the demands of the outside world.

She stressed that it was not the CDA that embarked on prevention, treatment and aftercare programmes, but rather other departments under the leadership of the Department of Social Development.

About the matter pertaining to the North West province’s failure to submit its report to the CDA, it was revealed that the province had actually provided a late submission, and the inclusion had then been disregarded for this reason. This was concerning to the CDA.

It was encouraging that the new Member of the Executive Council (MEC) of the North West province had taken up the matter and reappointed members to the Provincial Substance Abuse Forum (PSAF) who would be responsible for ensuring that problematic issues were addressed, including the provision of timely reports.

Funding allocated to “Higher Health”, an NGO contracted by the Department of Higher Education and Training for work done in higher education institutions, would be raised with authorities in respect of how R20 million was used to finance seemingly “minimal work”. It was up to the DoH to provide feedback which the CDA could then report to the Committee. Indeed, this was part of the CDA’s mandate -- to monitor resources used to meet the scourge of HIV.

Responding to questions posed by Ms Adriaanse and Mr Feni around the use of cannabis, Ms Mayathula-Khoza said the CDA recognised the economic potential of cannabis, as well as its medicinal value. The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) had approved its medicinal use under strict conditions, since it had been noted to cause side effects including respiratory problems, mental health disorders and cognitive impairment. Public education and strong regulatory measures were needed to mitigate such risks.

The CDA was aware of the Cannabis for Private Purpose Bill passed by the National Assembly in 2024, which regulated the personal use, possession and cultivation of cannabis by adults. Children found to have the substance were dealt with outside of the Criminal Procedure Act or through the Child Justice Act. It was important to see the economic value of cannabis while maintaining a balance and considering the social and health risks.

Ms Mayathula-Khoza called for research to measure what had unfolded in the country since the legalisation of its use. She admitted that the CDA did not have the funding to embark on its own research, but she confirmed that talks with the DSD were underway for research and data collection.

Responding to the question raised by Ms Arries on the effects of social media on teenage drug use, the CDA regularly advised departments tasked with executing the goals of the NDMP to use social media spaces to educate and raise awareness. The CDA also had a website where useful information was posted, as well as a social media page so that young people and children may find information there.

The CDA itself did not work on the street, but rather departments were responsible for this kind of work, in partnership with LDACs which typically work to integrate all stakeholders in the community at the grassroots level. This included faith-based organisations, local businesses and representatives of all departments at the municipal level, including social development, the health department, local economic development and others.

Speaking of the board’s vacancies, she said the Minister had appointed 11 members, but two had resigned. This development had been relayed to the former Minister. However, the current Deputy Minister was still due for an official briefing. It would be up to the principals to determine whether positions affected by the resignations would be filled.  

The lack of participation by four government departments that had failed to provide reports had been raised with the former Minister, but the matter needed further discussion with the Deputy Minister. She said the CDA was bound to follow a particular hierarchical line of reporting in general and on such matters.

Monitoring the impact of programmes was a “big one” for the CDA. Discussions were underway with the DSD to bring across the great need for in-depth assessment practices in this regard. The CDA was usually assured by departments that their work was verified.

There was a lot of work that was done by departments, but what was the impact? Social Development and the CDA were discussing ways in which to ensure that there were impact assessments of the work done by the departments.

She said Ms Sekawana would address the point of treatment centres. Each province had one centre managed by the government, but other private facilities were charging enormous fees to users and their families, which remained a challenge. She said the issue of exorbitant fees charged by the private sector had been raised, and encouraged the use of state-managed centres as an alternative.

The CDA was briefed at least annually by the Department of Transport on the statistics of people who had lost their lives, but the ideal would be for statistics to be provided every quarter to determine the extent of drug and alcohol use on the roads. She said it remained a challenge to address as a country to prevent people from drunk driving.

Ms Mayathula-Khoza said the SAPS had approached the CDA to discuss the issue of policing recovering users who were embarking on opioid addiction therapy. It had been reported that when people carried needles, they were “harassed” by the SAPS. There was a lot of cooperation between parties to remedy the status quo, and she said the education of role-players was pivotal in addressing issues in this regard, including officials.

Relating to Ms Du Plessis’ comment about structures within the CDA providing value at ground level, she agreed that CDA structures should make a difference on the ground, and the Minister had clarified what the oversight role of the CDA was versus the active role of government departments.

The issue of matters within Eldorado Park had been raised previously. The CDA had visited the area to see what was happening, and subsequently, there had been engagement with the police, although there could never be enough engagement to deal with the challenge of drug use and shootings, with young people and children dying in the crossfire.

Synthetic drugs were a problem that deserved necessary attention, and the CDA was in constant discussions about the scourge of usage. She believed the country itself needed to be self-reliant when it came to handling this issue. The former Minister was leading the debate, and now the Deputy Minister would take up the matter to find solutions. She assured the Committee that the CDA was aware of the additional dangers posed whilst using synthetic drugs. The practice, known as “Bluetoothing,” remained a serious situation which was being addressed by the CDA, the SAPS, the Department of Health and the DSD. Psycho-social support was part of the programme of drug demand production.

The issue of the economic cluster had been escalated to the former Minister, and should be able to move to the desk of the Deputy Minister, who oversees the related portfolio. The CDA encouraged stakeholders to work together in a multi-sectoral manner. She said if these attempts should fail, there was little else the Authority could do, as they had no teeth to act. They would only be able to escalate the matter to political principals through their political heads.

Ms Mayathula-Khoza said the CDA’s focus was on prevention, but she agreed that reformative treatment for users was also of importance due to addiction being a disease of the brain, as referred to earlier by Ms Chirwa-Mpungose when she raised the issue of mental health. The Department of Health would be required to come on board to address the issue around mental issues, and the DSD also provided psycho-social support for those who use drugs.

Ms Dlamini responded to Ms Chirwa-Mpungose's question and said the CDA was on a drive to strengthen stakeholder relations and increase the pool of individuals and groups from which to draw for engagement. These included people on the ground who were implementing interventions with NGOs.

The CDA strongly supported the National House of Traditional Leaders (NHTL) , which had developed its own drug demand reduction plan. The NHTL was engaging with stakeholders that were implementing interventions in all the areas that were governed by traditional leaders.

She acknowledged that in terms of work done with a wide variety of religious sectors, the CDA was in the process of a drive to get them on board too.

About how funds were used for prevention by departments, Ms Dlamini said the Deputy Minister had mentioned that this might be a question that could be asked of the departments themselves, as the CDA did not have an exact idea of how much had been used for prevention.

The circumstances around the measures that had been used to get the CDA to stop using money in March was a question that was best placed with the DSD and not the CDA itself. She suggested that perhaps the Deputy Minister could respond in more detail when it came time to respond in writing.

In response to Mr Sibande’s question about the CDA’s past failures to host summits, Ms Dlamini said a summit was held in 2023, with another held prior to that in 2011. The current board came into office in 2021, and once that happened, they immediately started working on an event. Summits were typically scheduled every two years, so another summit was due this year before the current board finished its tenure in March 2026.

With regard to working with the US, the Coalition on Synthetic Drug Threats was established during the term of the Biden Administration, and now that there had been a change of guard in the US the CDA had not seen a lot of activity about this coalition. However, they continued to engage with entities with whom prior work had been done on substance abuse. They were hopeful that once there had been a definite change made, they would be advised by the DSD on how the engagement would continue.

Regarding the consideration of the CDA’s seven goals and how they impacted drug abuse, the Authority trusted that the next NDMP, which was currently under development, would consider all the issues raised by the provincial government and summit dialogues and the entities they had engaged with.

Provincial liquor boards, and the regulations in various areas, had been flagged as problematic because they differ from place to place. Each province had its own regulations, and these were amended as they saw fit. Referring to the Eastern Cape Liquor Board, Ms Dlamini said they had recently amended their regulations, and there had been a change in March this year.

Ms Dlamini said it appeared that all questions had been addressed, and handed over to the Chairperson.

The Chairperson requested that the CDA respond in writing within seven days, especially about the questions that needed more details. She thanked the Deputy Minister, officials of the DSD and the CDA for the presentation and responses to questions posed by the MPs.

NDMP presentation deferred

At this time, Ms Sekawana sought clarity on whether the DSD director, who was meant to present the review of the NDMP, was still expected to do so. He was present on the platform. Earlier, during the presentation, he had been experiencing connectivity issues. Ms Sekawana wanted clarity now on whether the matter had been closed, or if the official would still be expected to present.

She concurred with the Deputy Minister that some of the issues would be addressed in writing and that the CDA would be collating these responses.

The Chairperson requested that the director send the report to the Committee so that the Members could submit written questions, as time was running out. Ms Sekawana thanked the Chairperson.

The Chairperson excused the DSD and the CDA from the meeting, as internal matters still needed attention.

Committee matters

Oversight visit report

The Chairperson alerted Members to another matter relating to the adoption of the “Report of the Select Committee on Social Services: An oversight visit to Gauteng Province”. They had received the report three weeks ago, and asked if there were any inputs, or anything on the report that needed discussion, as time was limited.

When met with silence, the Chairperson asked whether she was audible.

One MP assured the Chairperson that she was. The Chairperson suggested that since there had been no feedback, surely nothing stood in the way of adopting the report.

After he was prompted by the Chairperson, Mr Feni said he had not been part of the oversight group. However, he had perused the report, and this was the reason that he had not responded about the adoption of the report. He thought that other Members who were present would be able to assist with input.

The Chairperson said she believed the lack of response was because Members felt the report was comprehensive, and again she asked to move for the adoption of the report.

Again, there was no response forthcoming from other Members. She called on Ms Adriaanse and Ms Du Plessis, Ms Arries, Mr Sibande and Mr Mokwele who were part of the oversight to offer a move to adopt the report.

Met with silence, she asked if the Members were still present.

Ms Adriaanse responded that she had perused the report, but since she was currently on the move, she found it difficult to respond. However, she had found the report comprehensive. There were some notes she was not able to submit before the meeting. She did not want to move the adoption of the report yet, which was the reason for not being responsive.  

The Chairperson accepted this, but Mr Sibande moved for the adoption of the report.

The Chairperson said the problem was that the other Members were not responding. In particular, Ms Adriaanse had requested that the report not be adopted, which meant they found themselves in a difficult situation.

Addressing Mr Sibande, the Chairperson suggested that the report be discussed the following week.

Mr Sibande said the report could still be adopted, but with amendments if there were any.

The Chairperson said she understood this, but the problem remained that none of the Members was in favour of adopting the report.

Mr Sibande clarified that he was in favour of adopting it. The Chairperson acknowledged this, but said he had only moved to adopt the report, and she needed a seconding vote.

She said the matter of the report would be rolled over to the following week, when they would have only 15 minutes to discuss it. She would request that Ms Adriaanse submit the notes beforehand.

Consideration of minutes

The Chairperson said she was aware that some of the Members had to rush to Parliament, and she wanted to thank everyone. She informed the Committee Secretary, Ms Marcelle Williams, that the adoption of minutes would also be rolled over to a meeting next week despite a pressing need to have the matter resolved.

Ms Williams said the matter could be deferred.

The meeting was adjourned.