Nyaope smokers and dealers must run when they see pupils dressed in uniform.
This is a warning by the Congress of SA Students (Cosas), which has declared war on those associated with the drug and promised to take the law into their own hands and bring an end to nyaope.In yet another controversial campaign by Cosas, it now wants to sjambok anyone who is associated with nyaope.
In an interview with Sowetan, Cosas secretary-general Khulekani Skosana said the "biggest enemy" to the education system was drug abuse.
He said things could not continue normally while the future of young people was being destroyed.
"We are taking strong stance against drug abuse. We are saying any nyaope addict or dealer must not be comfortable when they see learners in a uniform, they must run," said Skosana.
"We have taken a radical decision to procure sjamboks for students to use on these nyaope addicts and dealers."
Skosana said "no to drugs at school" would form part of the education declarations the organisation will give to President Jacob Zuma on Friday during Cosas's "Learn Without Fear" convention to be held at Orlando Stadium, Soweto.
Zuma was expected to attend the convention, also coined #FillUpOrlandoStadium.
He said police had failed to protect young people from nyaope and accused them of accepting bribes from dealers.
"We are not apologetic, and yes, we are instigating violence against people who promote or sell nyaope in our communities.
"We are not apologetic for that and people can complain all they want but we are going to get rid of nyaope ourselves... our parents have failed. We need to take a stand and we are asking and challenging communities to support us."
Skosana would not be drawn into revealing how the organisation was going to start with its campaign and how it's going to execute it.
"All we are saying is that nyaope smokers and dealers are going to be hospitalised very soon."
But spokesman for the police, Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi, said the approach that Cosas wanted to use was "wrong".
"You cannot fight evil with evil, and as much as we understand their frustration, they need to come to us and tell us what they want to see happen instead of turning to violence.
"Their threat is very worrisome and it incites violence... we live in a state where the law is upheld... [anybody] who breaks the law knows the consequences," Mulaudzi said.
"We are making an appeal to Cosas to show leadership and work with the police."
Spokesman for the Department of Basic Education Elijah Mhlanga also said it was wrong for Cosas to promote violence.
"We encourage Cosas to work together with the department by using the channels that are already there to fight drug abuse at schools as opposed to promoting violence," Mhlanga said.
Last year, the organisation embarked on a controversial campaign where they called for pupils to hit teachers who practice corporal punishment. Skosana said this campaign was working.
"There are many teachers who can attest that our mechanism is effective. There is a teacher at Phateng Secondary School in Mamelodi who was sjamboked by Cosas and he later apologised. Today he is back in class teaching and no longer uses corporal punishment."
macupeb@sowetan.co.za
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