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The Moral Regeneration Movement (MRM) in the North West on Monday condemned underage drinking as well as drug and substance abuse that occurred over the weekend at the merry-go-round swings near the Mahikeng Mall in Mahikeng.
Convenor of the MRM Provincial Interim Committee, Pastor Lesiba Kgwele described the binge involving children as young as twelve, as not only shocking but also a symptom of deeper moral crisis facing society.
“These deplorable acts which are conducted in broad daylight whenever the merry-go-round swings are in town point to a decay in moral values. We are extremely concerned because underage drinking is a Siamese twin to teenage pregnancy,” remarked Kgwele.
He called on law enforcement to clamp down on lawlessness and intensify visibility around the area while the merry-go-round swings are in town.
” We urge parents to reclaim the Ubuntu adage, ‘every child is my child’ and also play their part by accompanying their children to the entertainment because heartless drug dealers and unscrupulous liquor traders are opportunists that are taking advantage of our vulnerable youth to derive maximum benefit,” he stressed.
Kgwele said that members of the committee had witnessed firsthand young girls staggering, drinking publicly, others smoking hubbly-bubbly on their return from the Ministerial Imbizo on Gender-Based Violence, Drug and substance abuse that was hosted by the Deputy Minister of Police Cassel Mathale and the Deputy Minister of Justice, Constitutional Development and Correctional Services, John Jeffrey.
This calls for urgency to ensure that the pledge that we had signed at the Imbizo is given practical expression with implementing sustainable intervention programmes, he emphasised.
“As the MRM, we are committed to mobilise churches, men, women and youth organisations including business to combat the scourge of crime as well as drug and substance abuse destroying the future of our youth as well as tearing our families and communities apart,” he added.
Kgwele further said that MRM is determined to intensify and redouble its effort to establish stronger partnerships for safer communities, establishing youth mentorship programmes as part of championing the charter of positive values is a priority that the civil society led organization will embark upon as part of implementing its safer schools programme in partnership with the Department of Basic Education and other intervention programmes.
“We hope that the Provincial MRM Youth colloquium that we will be hosting on the 15 September 2023 to raise awareness about the Charter of Positive values that we are advocating for inclusion in the school curriculum,” he underscored.
He expressed a wish for the model of the Representative Council of Learners (RCL) Moral Regeneration Movement(MRM) Ubuntu leadership programme that was implemented by Agape Foundation in partnership with Merafe Resources, the Adopt-A-School Programme, an entity of the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation at Boitekong and Meriting Secondary Schools in Rustenburg replicated at other schools and districts across the province.
“While collaboration with South African Community of Faith Based Fraternal (SACOFF) and the South African Police Service (SAPS) will also assist us tackle the scourge of crime at a broad societal level, municipalities must ensure that young people have recreational facilities,” he concluded.
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