A JUNKIE'S TRANSFORMATION: I have done all drugs, now I'm clean

At only 16 years old, Sechaba Magula of Francistown started experimenting with marijuana when his roommate let him finish his joint.At the time, he was already hooked on thinner cigarettes and benzene.Now 41 years old, Magula says he has done most drugs that are widely available in Botswana including, alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, cocaine and meth cathinone.“When you are an addict and jobless you do not really have a daily budget. That is where having friends who are addicts comes in handy because they help you bear costs and share with you. I spent about P30 a day on cannabis and when I upgraded to Kat about P200 a day,” he said.Magula’s mother unfortunately passed away when he was 13 and his sister has been a foster mother to him and an inspiration. As a devoted Christian she constantly laboured on her knees in prayer for his salvation and continually pointed him to Christ.All the effort paid off because eventually Magula quit drugs when his grandmother died. He recalls that as a ‘junkie’ he sold his mother's plot which his sister had entrusted to him, for P250 000, and squandered the money on meth cathinone.He also bought a car that he later lost to a drug lord whom he had engaged as a mechanic.“My rock bottom came when I was beaten by a drug lord and his goons, they had a conflict with another drug lord in whose house I was staying. They beat me until I wet myself.“When I later reported the matter to the police they reluctantly dragged their feet with the case and eventually ignored me. I understood that because the industry is a lucrative one I would not get justice.“I made a decision to get onto my knees to pray for help for my sorry state. I turned to Jesus Christ,” Magula said.After that incident he was determined to get clean. Magula says the youth are the biggest dreamers and believers and struggle to find their place in a society that has become obsessed with self-centeredness.He says parents should raise their children to be responsible adults. He worries that nowadays, society spoils children instead of disciplining them.Some parents rely on substances to relieve stress and heal from life traumas, and are not able to provide the needed guidance to their children.“If you have a child who is dabbling or hooked on drugs I am here to tell you that there is hope. Put away the drugs.“I watched my mother quit alcohol and cigarettes because she wanted to set a better example, in some way she did,” Magula says.Magula urges government to work with churches in fighting drugs in the country, as it is Christ alone that can transform even a drug dealer into a pillar of the community and a responsible citizen.

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A JUNKIE'S TRANSFORMATION: I have done all drugs, now I'm clean