Emalahleni – Ward 17 Councillor Sizwe Mathebula and Kakaramba Foundation hosted an awareness campaign on 08 October 2025 to talk about Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) and substance abuse plaguing the town.
The event was also supported by local stakeholders, Emalahleni Local Municipality and the Department of Health. “There will be other programmes or initiatives that are still on the way to fight the pandemics we are facing: GBVF and substance abuse,” said Mathebula.
“I think every household, nine [out of 10] are affected by this pandemic,” he said. “This really needs all of us to come together as different organisations to fight this. It’s not only the youth who must be involved but parents too.”
He described the pain many parents face when addiction steals away their children.
“It does not sit well with you as a parent when your child gets involved in drugs. It’s painful,” he added. “We must collaborate as a society and teach parents how to deal with victims of substance abuse. Parents tend to hide things at home because of their children being substance abusers, afraid that they will steal and sell [those items] just so they can buy drugs.”
Millicent Shabangu, speaker of the Emalahleni Local Municipality, reflected on the lasting trauma of GBVF in the community. “In August, instead of celebrating Women’s Month, we buried our sisters who died at the hands of men,” she said. “We must not protect wrongdoers in our homes just to save a family name. If someone has done something wrong, let the law take its course.”
For Bhekiwe Nyathi, a resident of Ward 17, the prayer event symbolised hope and renewal. “As a youth member of this community, I believe and pray that this event will help us achieve the mandate to fight drugs and GBVF,” she said. “It kills the spirit behind us as young people. I hope it helps us to change ourselves and become better leaders in our homes and communities.”
Bhekiwe painted a bleak picture of daily life in Lynnville, where substance abuse fuels crime and fear. “Most of the young people who smoke end up in criminal activities like house-breaking,” she said. “They steal things like tap pipes just to get money for drugs. It’s unsafe to even walk in the streets, we fear being robbed or raped for a cellphone.”
Councillor Mathebula reminded the crowd that no single institution can solve these crises alone. “Our aim is simple,” he said. “We want to reduce or eliminate the scourge of drug abuse. But we’re not going to do that alone. It’s going to take all of us.”
