Six-year-olds 'using tik'

Fourteen pupils at a primary school in Faure, some as young as six, have been identified as drug and alcohol users by education authorities.

The Cape Argus visited the school earlier this month after teachers raised concerns that pupils were smoking tik and dagga and drinking alcohol before class.

The teachers said the children's erratic behaviour and mood swings were making it increasingly difficult to deal with them.

The Western Cape Education Department has been in talks with its Safer Schools programme, as well as the school social worker, to decide on what needs to be done to address this problem.

An initial assessment by a social worker identified nine children who may be at risk.

The spokeswoman for Education MEC Donald Grant, Bronagh Casey, said the school was still being evaluated.

"We have made a preliminary assessment of the learners originally reported to the (department).

"A second group of learners have been identified since then. There are now 14 learners who are believed to be at risk. They are between the ages of six and 12 years," said Casey.

She said officials had met the pupils' parents.

At a meeting last week it was decided that "an intervention strategy" would focus on the pupils and their parents and include home visit, said Casey.

A teacher at the school said there were "clear signs" that the drug and alcohol problems started at home.

"It's fine to work with the kids, but you need to work with the parents as well," said the teacher.

Casey said: "The South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (Sanca), Child Welfare and the police will also be involved."

She said police were investigating from whom the pupils bought drugs.

The principal, who has been in the post for 12 years, had earlier told the Cape Argus that her staff had repeatedly summoned parents to discuss their children's drug use, but "most of the parents (of these children) also (use drugs)".

- Cape Argus

'He had chains round his neck'

She knew he was a thieving druggie but identifying her grandson's corpse was the hardest thing this grandmother has ever had to do.

The teen's lifeless body was dumped on Monwabisi beach after he was allegedly abducted and killed for stealing in his area.

The lonely stretch of beach is a notorious dumping spot for corpses and cops regularly patrol the shore.

Harare police spokeswoman Nosiphiwo Mtengwane says a case of murder has been opened for Monde Malgas' murder and one suspect is already in custody.

"One suspect was arrested on charges of kidnapping and murder," says Mtengwane.

Monde's grandmother Miriam Malgas, 56, says a man came to their house in Makhaya, Khayelitsha, to look for Monde, 16, last week but the teen wasn't at home.

"He told me that a lady who lives in the area sent him to tell us Monde had stolen a DVD player and an amplifier from her house," she says.

The teen's devastated family admit he was a drug addict and had been involved in crime before.

Miriam says the most painful thing about losing her grandson is the fact that he was starting to mend his ways.

"He [Monde] did a lot of things wrong, but he was starting to change because he had even started going to church," she says.

The family says Monde was tortured by being strangled with a chain before he was eventually murdered and dumped on the beach on Thursday.

The teen's mother Linda Malgas, 35, says they aren't sure what exactly Monde died of.

"The woman denies sending someone to our house," says Linda.

"Witnesses say Monde was picked up and put in a car by three men and he had chains round his neck."

Linda says her son couldn't even explain himself because the chains were choking him.

Last year Niezaam Abrahams' burnt body and car were found at Monwabisi beach.

He had to be identified by his gold teeth.

- Daily Voice

Cop accuses boss of smoking dagga

A traffic officer has claimed his boss is a foul-mouthed and dagga-smoking bully.

The Cape Town cop admits he smoked dagga during a departmental function just so that he could curry favour with his superior.

But now the officer has come clean to the Daily Voice and wants to expose the drug abuse in an offical enquiry.

In a statement the officer, who works at the Hillstar Traffic Department, says his boss - whose
identity is known to the Daily Voice - is called "The Daggakop Skollie" (The Pothead Gangster) by colleagues.

The statement reads: "While at Langebaan last year in November, we were four traffic officers and two chief inspectors and I then noticed the Inspector preparing two 10cm long dagga cigarettes.

"The zol was passed around amongst us and out of the six officers, five smoked."

He says he felt pressured to go on on the trip and feared victimisation if he didn't.

"Initially I didn't want to go on this trip but the chief inspector warned us that if we didn't go 'we won't be in his plans'," says the officer.

"I was scared he would relocate me or victimise me like he had done with other officers.

"I regret that I participated in smoking dagga. I wanted to fit in and I needed the protection."

The officer says he will only reveal his identity at an official enquiry.

He also claims his superior uses profanity in meetings.

City Safety and Security Executive Director Richard Bosman confirms the matter is being investigated.

"We are treating the case seriously and if there is evidence that will prove misconduct, action in the form of a hearing will be taken against all the parties involved," he says. - Daily Mail