Pupils selling dagga at school – Police

Some pupils are said to be selling dagga in school, raising concern over the growing involvement of children in drug-related activities.

This was revealed on Saturday during the Manzini North Culture Day by Community Safety Officer at the Manzini Police Station Constable Vuyisile Dvuba.

Dvuba revealed that some bomalume (informal transport operators and drivers who ferry school children) were allegedly involved in drug dealing, with some reportedly hiding dagga in pupils’ schoolbags and instructing them to sell it at school.

“Children are selling dagga at school and other forms of drugs,” she said.

Dvuba urged learners to report to the police whenever they were given dagga or any other illicit substances to sell at school, warning that children should not be used to smuggle drugs.

She further cautioned Manzini North residents about the growing drug problem in the area, saying the situation was particularly worrying.

Dvuba said she was heartbroken after learning from the area’s bucopho that the number of elderly approaching the inkhundla for assistance with applications to access elderly grants had drastically declined.

Instead, she said, there was an increasing number of forms being signed by the inkhundla for young people who needed admission to the National Psychiatric Referral Hospital due to substance abuse.

She urged parents to pay close attention to their children’s behaviour and activities so as to ensure that they did not become involved in drug abuse.

She advised parents, whose children lived in separate houses within the family homestead, to make it a habit to visit them regularly, clean the houses, collect their laundry and check their pockets and belongings for possible signs of drug use.

Dvuba said parents who discovered drugs in their children’s possession should approach the nearest police station, where the child would be assisted by the relevant officers within the police service and stakeholders.

She warned that helping children abandon drug use became increasingly difficult once the habit had become deeply entrenched, hence the importance of identifying the problem and seeking assistance at an early stage.

She also appealed to the youth to refrain from drug abuse.

Meanwhile, Dvuba warned residents to be vigilant against scammers who had intensified their activities following the official announcement of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) recruitment exercise.

She said ‘facata’ scammers were taking advantage of unsuspecting locals by promising them employment within the police service in exchange for money.

Dvuba urged residents not to lose their hard-earned money to fraudsters promising them non-existent jobs, particularly at a time when many households were already struggling financially amid the prevailing El Niño phenomenon.

Instead, she encouraged aspiring applicants to pray and trust that their children would be recruited through a fair process.

She revealed that the scammers impersonated police officers by contacting their victims through WhatsApp calls, using profile pictures bearing the REPS logo and in some instances, photographs of senior police officers to make their schemes appear legitimate.

“You should not entertain anything that seems to have a criminal element in it,” she warned.

Dvuba also warned residents against contravening the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Act, cautioning that even acts of violence that might appear minor could carry serious financial consequences.

She pointed out that slapping another person across the face with an open hand could result in a fine of up to E5 000 upon conviction.

She urged family members who were experiencing disagreements to seek assistance from relevant organisations, including their nearest police stations, rather than allowing their differences to escalate.

Dvuba emphasised that police stations were not necessarily places where people were arrested, but also provided a platform for individuals experiencing disputes to sit down, seek guidance and iron out their differences.

She further urged residents to report all forms of criminal activity, stressing that the culture of protecting offenders under the guise of tibi tendlu (family secrets) should not be tolerated.