Former South African (SA) President Kgalema Motlanthe has identified four key priorities in addressing the growing drug problem in the region.
These include improved surveillance of regional drug markets, expanded access to treatment and harm-reduction services, targeted action against major drug trafficking networks, and a coordinated response to synthetic drugs.
Addressing a high-level meeting of the Eastern and Southern Africa Commission on Drugs in Cape Town, Western Cape Province, Motlanthe says current punitive approaches, which focus largely on arresting and imprisoning people for drug use and minor possession, have failed to curb the supply of drugs or reduce drug-related harm.
He is calling for a fundamental shift towards evidence-based drug policies that prioritise rehabilitation, public health and human rights.
–SABC–
