With statistics showing that almost 20% of South Africans – 1 out of every 5 adults – abuse substances; that is 10 million South Africans, the Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the invitation to the public to nominate persons to serve as members of the Central Drug Authority (CDA).
The CDA is a statutory multi-sectoral advisory structure that reports to Parliament and Cabinet through the Minister of Social Development. Its core mandate is to develop and implement the National Drug Master Plan (NDMP) and to provide strategic advice on policy, programmes and emerging issues related to drugs.
The current CDA board is ineffective and incapable of performing its core functions. There are eight vacant positions, seven of which is due to the non-appointment of CDA board members by various Ministers of the respective National Departments namely: Department of International Relations and Cooperation; Department of Labour; Department of Sports and Recreation; Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; Department of Provincial and Local Government; Department of Transport and the National Youth Development Agency.
In addition to vacancies, the CDA board members expired on 30 September 2018 and was extended from 01 October 2018 to 31 March 2019 and again from 01 April 2019 to 30 September 2019. This call to the public to nominate new members is long overdue and welcomed. A newly appointed CDA board will hopefully result in the publishing of the long outstanding CDA Annual Report of 2017/2018 as well as the Annual Report of 2018/2019.
The 2013/2017 NDMP serves as a blueprint for combating the scourge of alcohol and substance abuse, which has reached epidemic proportions in South Africa. Alcohol and substance abuse continues to destroy families, communities and our society as a whole. The youth are particularly hard hit as patients as young as 10 years old are treated for substance abuse. There is continued delay by the national government in passing the 2019/2024 NDMP, which still awaits Cabinet approval. These type of delays are hampering the sector with outdated ideas of treatment as well as a lack of funding.
The DA looks forward to an open and transparent interview and selection process of the 13 members who are appointed through this public nomination process as well as the swift appointment of the 21 members by the various governmental departments to form a proficient CDA board to tackle the country’s ongoing war on substance abuse.