During the festive season alcohol starts to flow and many of us are feeling the effects of rising rent, grocery bills, and fuel prices… not helped by the fact that unemployment is at an 11-year high nationally!

It’s a stressful time of year for many people, and it can be a trigger for substance abuse.

Free substance abuse treatment is available for everyone

To help address the heart-breaking grip drugs and alcohol abuse have on so many of our families, the DA-run City of Cape Town started launching Matrix sites, dedicated to providing free treatment for addiction, in June 2008.

The sites are based on an American treatment model which is regarded as the only effective program for stimulant users that has a scientific basis. Cape Town’s Tafelsig clinic was the first certified Matrix site outside the USA!

Today, about ten years later, the City of Cape Town has just launched its eighth Matrix clinic!

“We’re all affected by drug abuse in one way or another, and entire families and communities feel the ripple effects – whether because of domestic violence, child neglect or an increase in crime,” says the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.

What the treatment entails

The 16-week structured programme for adults aims to provide help so that addicts can stop using illicit substances, stay in treatment, learn about addiction and relapse, receive ongoing support from a trained therapist, become involved in self-help programmes and be monitored.                   

Treatment sessions – which involve individual, group and family therapy – are offered three times a week. The full suite of facilities that offer free treatment are in: Tafelsig; Albow Gardens; Delft South; Town 2, Khayelitsha; Parkwood; Ruimte Road, Manenberg; Eersterivier; and now in Scottsdene, Kraaifontein. (You can find their contact details below.)

Proven success

The City of Cape Town’s unique approach of placing substance abuse treatment in Primary Healthcare was commended at an international conference. And we are very pleased to see similar approaches being adopted by others following the DA’s lead. 

The sites boast an 83% clean drug test rate for clients!

A computer literacy programme is offered too

As an incentive to stay in the programme, residents can also join the City of Cape Town’s SmartCape programme, aimed at growing computer literacy!

The programme takes a maximum of 10 students per programme per clinic. It offers basic computer literacy which includes an introduction to computers, office productivity packages like Writer, Calc, etc., writing of CVs and cover pages, creating a budget sheet, setting up of email addresses, internet and cyber security.

And once the programme is completed, each Matrix clinic arranges a graduation ceremony where the graduates are awarded certificates!

Anyone willing to receive treatment for a substance abuse problem can either call or visit the site closest to them. They will be screened on the same day and will either slot into the programme or be referred to the appropriate help for their particular situation.

Free alcohol and drug treatment is available at:

ALBOW GARDENS MATRIX® SITE ALBOW GARDENS COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE Koeberg Road, Brooklyn Tel: 021 444 5963 / 4

DELFT SOUTH MATRIX® SITE DELFT SOUTH COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE Cnr Boyce Street and Delft Main Road, Delft South Tel: 021 444 8444 / 5 / 6

EERSTERIVIER MATRIX® SITE EERSTERIVER CLINIC Bobs Way, Eersteriver Tel: 021 444 7147

PARKWOOD MATRIX ® SITE PARKWOOD CLINIC Cnr Walmer Rd and Parkwood Ave, Parkwood Tel: 021 444 4212 / 3

RUIMTE ROAD MATRIX® SITE MANENBERG RUIMTE ROAD SATELLITE CLINIC Ruimte Road, Manenberg Tel: 021 444 3539 / 40 / 41

SCOTTSDENE MATRIX® SITE Scottsdene Clinic Eoan Street, Scottsdene, Kraaifontein Tel: 021 444 8777 / 497 / 518

TAFELSIG MATRIX® SITE TAFELSIG COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE Cnr Kilimanjaro & Pyreneze Streets, Tafelsig, Mitchells Plain Tel: 021 444 4464

TOWN 2 MATRIX® SITE KHAYELITSHA TOWN 2 COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE Cnr Japhta Masemola & Charles Mokoena Streets, Town 2, Khayelitsha Tel: 021 444 2919 / 20 / 21