KNYSNA NEWS - A police constable attached to the Knysna Police Station has started an NPO aimed at informing schoolchildren and young adults about the negative consequences of using drugs.
"We as youth need to have goals, and try to achieve those goals," says Yandisa Xuma (35), founder of the registered Yandisa Xuma Youth Movement, which he started in March last year.
Xuma, a married father of two young children from the town of Ngcobo in the Eastern Cape, is a descendant of Alfred Bitini Xuma, a medical doctor who was the president-general of the ANC from 1940 to 1949.
After serving in the police force in Cape Town for seven years, he was transferred to Knysna two years ago, and is a member of the Crime Prevention Unit.
'Right decisions'
He became interested in informing schoolchildren about the dangers of using drugs when he became aware of "the high number of youth that were being arrested for possession and use of drugs, mostly Mandrax, dagga and cocaine".
"Some of the youngsters who were using drugs and possessing drugs were still at school. This inspired me to come up with a solution - to educate them about the dangers of drugs, to empower them to make the right decisions, and to fight against substance abuse."
He had recently, accompanied by sector managers of the Knysna police, engaged with children at Rheenendal Primary School, and with teenagers at the AFM Koinonia Restoration Centre in Hornlee.
"I taught them about the different types of drugs and their different effects, and how to avoid people who are selling drugs - and told them that they must report drug use to their parents.
'Lack of self-esteem'
"When I'm not going to churches and schools, I speak to people in the streets of Knysna who are using drugs, and refer them to the Knysna Drug Centre, where they can be evaluated for treatment and rehabilitation.
Constable Yandisa Xuma, second from the left, with, from the left, Sergeant Benjamin Phambani; Ronaldo Terblanche, of the Knysna Youth Crime Prevention Desk; and Sergeant Gregory Snyman, at the AFM Koinonia Restoration Centre in Hornlee.
"I've applied to some schools to speak to children, but I haven't had a reply from them.
"My goal is to give our youth attention, and try to get more clarity on the causes of them being involved in substance abuse - and to open the minds of the public, (to point out) that it's not only about choices (deciding to use drugs) but about the background of children, parental rejection, and a lack of self-esteem.
"I'm taking it one step at a time, running my NPO, because I'm using my own finances (for it) at the moment.
"For the organisation to grow, I'd like to get some assistance."
To get in touch with Constable Xuma, email him at Youthmovement739@gmail.com
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