Alarming Crisis In Mamelodi As Learners Skipping School for Drugs and Alcohol.
Mamelodi, 20 August 2025 – A disturbing trend is sweeping through Mamelodi and other South African townships, where learners as young as primary school age are bunking school to engage in drinking, smoking, and unsupervised socializing in private homes, unbeknownst to their parents. This truancy crisis, driven by peer pressure, poverty, and easy access to alcohol, cannabis, and even drugs like nyaope, is threatening the future of countless young people.
In Mamelodi, adolescents aged 12 to 18 are skipping classes to gather in private residences, consuming substances from nearby liquor stores or shebeens. This behavior, fueled by absent parental oversight, disengagement from school, and mental health struggles, leads to poor academic performance, addiction risks, and anti-social behaviors like violence and risky sexual activity. The ripple effects are devastating communities, with schools struggling to maintain discipline and families facing social and economic strain.
Urgent action is needed. Schools must bolster life skills programs, parents need education on truancy signs, and communities should create safe spaces for youth. Stricter enforcement against selling substances to minors and mental health support are critical. As a Mamelodi leader said, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Without swift, collaborative intervention, South Africa risks losing its youth to this hidden crisis.
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