Heather Erdmann
REHOBOTH – Community members, learners and government representatives gathered at Dr Lemmer High School in Rehoboth last week in their resolute stance against drug abuse that has engulfed the town.
The engagement was also attended by First Gentleman Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah, deputy education minister Dino Ballotti, Hardap governor Riaan McNab, Rehoboth mayor Jackie Jackson ‡Khariseb, members of the Baster Traditional Authority Kaptein’s Council, educators, learners, church leaders and community members.
Addressing learners, Ndaitwah warned that substance abuse continues to derail young people’s futures, affecting school performance, discipline and personal development.
“Crime does not pay,” he said, cautioning learners against believing that drugs or criminal behaviour lead to success. He noted that Rehoboth currently records the highest crime rate in the Hardap region, followed by Mariental and Maltahöhe, underlining the urgency of early intervention.
Speaking directly to boys, Ndaitwah challenged harmful perceptions of masculinity.
“You don’t need to be a rapist to be a man. You don’t need to fight members of society to be a man. You don’t need to be addicted to drugs or be a drunkard to be a man,” he said.
He urged parents, community leaders and institutions to actively guide and support learners.
Addressing the same event, town mayor and Rehoboth High School principal #Khariseb said substance abuse is not only a health or disciplinary issue but also a developmental concern.
“Substance abuse robs young people of their dreams before those dreams have a chance to mature. It steals focus, dulls ambition, and derails potential,” he said.
#Khariseb emphasised that prevention is more powerful than cure, calling for education to be paired with strong values, mentorship, and early intervention.
“You are here not to be lectured, but to be empowered. You are capable of greatness, but greatness requires clarity of mind, strength of character and the courage to say no,” he told learners.
A strong warning was delivered by Pastor Leonard Pienaar, who read a statement on behalf of Baster Traditional Authority Kaptein Jacky Britz, saying drug abuse has moved beyond school gates.
“Drug abuse is no longer knocking on the school gate. It is already inside the playground, inside the classroom and inside the lives of our children,” he read.
He said drug dealers are exploiting vulnerability by recruiting learners as runners, describing the situation as a system failure rather than a learner problem.
“Children do not wake up wanting to be drug runners. They are recruited through hunger, peer pressure, broken homes, and the false promise of quick money,” he said.
The Kaptein proposed solutions including early detection in schools, stronger parental accountability, safe and anonymous reporting systems, consistent police visibility around schools, and increased investment in sports, arts, mentorship, and skills training programmes.
“Idle children are easy targets,” the statement noted.
“If we lose our children, we lose Rehoboth. If we protect them, we secure our future,” he said.
Reverend Pedro van Schalkwyk of the Rynse Kerk Moedergemeente welcomed the boy child initiative and pledged the church’s continued involvement in substance abuse prevention programmes in schools and communities.
“When they are convicted, they simply pay a fine and are back on the streets again,” he said, calling for harsher sentences and policy reform to prevent drug-related crimes. Learners played a central role in the campaign, with junior mayor Deborah Libbert, a Grade 12 learner at Dr Lemmer High School, delivering a powerful anti-drug poem.
“I am here because I am counting empty chairs where my classmates used to sit,” she said, declaring a fight against drugs she described as “a demon trying to kill our generation.”
Her poem urged young people to reject drugs, warning that substance abuse destroys ambition, life and the future.
Junior deputy mayor Tracey-Lee Cloete, a Grade 12 learner at M&K Gertze High School, said the campaign highlighted the seriousness of the issue.
“This is an issue many of us struggle with in our families and households. I am ready to work and excited to see change,” she said.
Grade 11 learner Stephanie Van Wyk, the public relations officer of the Rehoboth junior town council, said the presence of national leaders sent a strong message.
“The campaign reminded us that substance abuse is not just a personal issue, but a community responsibility. We must choose life,” she said.
Photo: Heather Erdmann