Cape Town - 130806 - The Mothers Unite Against Drugs (Kraaifontein Abba Network) joined hands today at the Kraaifontein Civic so mothers could share their stories with the public of how drugs tore apart their relationships with their children. The SAPS was also on hand to give out advice on how to deal with children who are addicted to illegal substances. Pictured: Ellen Pakkies(right) and Felicity Dirks sit and pray for the women who share their stories. REPORTER: NONTANDO MPOSO. PICTURE: WILLEM LAW. Cape Town - 130806 - The Mothers Unite Against Drugs (Kraaifontein Abba Network) joined hands today at the Kraaifontein Civic so mothers could share their stories with the public of how drugs tore apart their relationships with their children. The SAPS was also on hand to give out advice on how to deal with children who are addicted to illegal substances. Pictured: Ellen Pakkies(right) and Felicity Dirks sit and pray for the women who share their stories. REPORTER: NONTANDO MPOSO. PICTURE: WILLEM LAW.
Cape Town - Two weeks ago a 44-year-old Wallacedene mother tried to kill her eldest daughter by crushing over the counter sleeping pills into her coffee.
It was her second attempt to end her daughter’s life. Earlier she had put rat poison in her daughter’s coffee but another of her daughters caught her in the act and destroyed it.
“I was angry but I was not scared because I wanted her to die.” These were the tormented words of Felicity Dirks, who spoke at an early Women’s Day event, “Mothers united against Drugs”, on Tuesday at the Kraaifontein Civic Centre.
Hosted by the Kraaifontein SAPS and the Kraaifontein ABBA Network, a local drug action committee, it united mothers who were struggling with children or husbands who abused drugs and alcohol.
Sharing her story, Dirks said that her 26-year-old daughter dropped out of her final year of law school five years ago. Her drugs of choice were Mandrax “buttons” and tik. Dirks said her breaking point came when her daughter started luring her younger sisters, aged 21 and 17 to drugs. “She knows I tried to kill her. It’s like I’m a bad mother… I’m failing my children.”
Three other mothers also shared their stories. The mothers were comforted by Ellen Pakkies of Lavender Hill who strangled her tik-addicted son Adam in 2007.
Kraaifontein police station commander, Brigadier Gerda van Niekerk, encouraged people to speak out by reporting drug related activities to the police. The police were embarking on surveillance to catch drug lords. “We need to name and shame them so everyone in the community can know who they are and what they do.”
nontando.mposo@inl.co.za
Cape Argus