South Africa plays a significant role in global drug trafficking as a transit and destination country and the country was not making a significant impact on substance use and drug trafficking
The Central Drug Authority (CDA) presented its 2023/24 Annual Report and an update on the National Drug Master Plan (NDMP) during a briefing of the Select Committee on Social Services at the National Council of Provinces on Wednesday.
In terms of the current and emerging trends in substance use and abuse, the CDA found that South Africa had a limited appetite for addressing public concerns about harm caused by licit substances, including delays in the Liquor Amendment Bill.
The CDA also found that there was a dearth of research and systems to manage New Psychoactive Substance (NPS) and keep pace with the evolving drug environment
One of the recommended interventions made by the CDA was enhanced law enforcement to address the complex trafficking networks and reduce drug availability, South Africa, the CDA suggested, must invest in stronger border controls, intelligence sharing, and international cooperation.
The CDA found that the total number of narcotics seizures continued to decrease when compared to previous periods. In 2023/24, SARS Customs reported 409 seizures compared to 525 seizures during 2022/23 and 915 seizures in 2021/22. This indicates a continuous decreasing pattern which could be indicative of the efficiency of detection efforts deployed by SARS, which include risk-based targeting of passengers and cargo and a strong Customs to Business relationship
Alcohol consumption also remains high in South Africa, with binge drinking contributing to significant social issues, including gender-based violence, underage drinking, and health complications like foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD)
The CDA faced the following challenges:
- Inconsistent departmental participation: Some departments have yet to develop sector drug master plans or participate in provincial activities.
- Budget Limitations - The NDMP lacks clear targets and costing, and the CDA’s budget is insufficient for its mandate, especially for Goals 5 and 6.
- Joint Planning Issues - departments are still working in silos, resisting joint and integrated planning.
- Awareness gaps - provincial dialogues revealed a general lack of awareness about the NDMP, both in communities and among departments.
Currently, out of 257 municipalities, the country only has 118 (46%) Local Drug Action Committees (LDACs). The CDA report stated that 18 years after the Prevention of and Treatment for Substance Abuse Act was promulgated, a little more than half of municipalities have yet to establish these critical structures that must be at the coal face of service delivery, where the challenges of substance abuse and drug trafficking take place and are most felt.
Deputy Minister of the Department of Social Development (DSD) Mogamad Ganief Ebrahim Hendricks said the five-year master drug plan will have to focus on prevention and stronger oversight.
"There must be a new generation free of drugs because of prevention strategies. We must do away with silos and have one tier of government. I will not support local drug associations that do not spend 75 % of their budget on drug prevention. Are we going to focus on those who are drug addicts or prevention? We need one plan and one budget. We cannot have silos and that is why we made no progress in ten years,” he said.
The illicit drug market includes cannabis, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and new psychoactive substances.
- Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in South Africa across age groups, mainly youth, signalling early initiation. The major production areas include Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
- Methamphetamine is considered to have the highest prevalence in the Western Cape with users aged 20-30 years. The drug is associated with severe health and mental issues. It is also produced in the Western Cape. It is also trafficked from South-East Asia.
- Heroin and associated street drugs like nyaope and whoonga are prevalent in Gauteng, KZN, and WC, with increasing use by young people. Heroin is trafficked from Afghanistan via East Africa and Southern Africa.
- Cocaine is more common in Gauteng urban centres, used in powder form and crack cocaine. Key entry points: Port of Durban, air and marine routes. Enters South Africa mainly from Latin America (Brazil, Colombia).