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Former druggie Msibi turns his life around

CLEAN LIFE: Mzwakhe Msibi, a former drug addict with members of his band. Msibi now helps nyaope addicts. He uses the band to keep addicts away from drugs. The band is currently a mixture of drug addicts and other young people in the community Photo: Veli Nhlapo
CLEAN LIFE: Mzwakhe Msibi, a former drug addict with members of his band. Msibi now helps nyaope addicts. He uses the band to keep addicts away from drugs. The band is currently a mixture of drug addicts and other young people in the community Photo: Veli Nhlapo

Mzwakhe Msibi lived a criminal life from his teenage years until twelve years ago when he decided to turn his life around.

In 1991, when he was only 14, he was arrested for the murder of a friend but was acquitted.

In total, Msibi of Sebokeng in the Vaal, has been arrested 11 times for different offences. Some of the offences he has been arrested for range from drug smuggling to possession of unlicensed firearms.

He was also a member of a gang known as Mambas that terrorised the community. Msibi also claimed to have shot many people but said he never killed anyone. He said he survived three shooting incidents and a mob attack.

Msibi, now 38, said his life changed when he had a child.

"I decided to change my life. I loved playing in a brass band and I realised that young people loved it. I believe I can use the band to keep them away from drugs," he said.

The band, which plays various instruments, was launched at Thuthukani Primary School in Sebokeng on Friday.

Msibi has initiated The Toughest Young Minds, a programme aimed at fighting drug abuse. He said his focus was on nyaope addicts as the drug was common in his community. The programme treats and rehabilitates drug addicts.

Working in partnership with the Nazareth Witness Apostolic Church, Msibi uses spiritual and music therapy to rehabilitate addicts.

"When you are under the influence of drugs, you react differently to music. Addicts enjoy music more when they are high. When they are clean, they wish to hear the music the same way they did when they were high and they relapse. We want them to make their own music so that it can stay with them," he said.

Msibi said addicts were allowed to join the band after rehabilitation.

Recovering drug addict Happy Lekhetho, 21, said he had been clean for five months. He was in Grade 9 when he started smoking nyaope.

"I decided to quit when two of my friends died when they contracted HIV while using drugs. They shared a syringe in a group to inject themselves with drugs.

"We had been friends from Grade 1 and their death left me shattered. I knew I would follow them if I did not change," he said.

 

Archbishop Professor Jacob Mjele said it was important to teach addicts about God because it helps them to stay positive.

"You can treat a person medically but they also need spiritual therapy. We take them back to God through prayer because they were disconnected from him when they were addicts," he said.

Mjele said nyaope was a big problem in their community.

ratsatsip@sowetan.co.za

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