Factors influencing the sustainability of local drug action committees in the Free State Province : case study of Mangaung Municipality.
Date
2014-09-05
Authors
Matsenyane, Leloko Edwin
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Abstract
The Local Drug Action Committee (LDAC) is the closest body to the community which is
made up of individuals from different stakeholders at a local level to coordinate the activities
aimed at the prevention of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking within the
communities. Since the implementation of the committees, the sustainability of these
committees has been a challenge in the Free State Province. The study endeavoured to
explore factors which influence the sustainability of these committees in the Free State
Province. A qualitative research approach that was explorative and descriptive in nature was
employed. A case study design was used. Purposive sampling was applied to select the
participants from two LDACs in Mangaung Municipality. A semi-structured interview
schedule was used to collect the data during individual in-depth interviews with five
participants. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse the data. The main findings
indicated that there was a lack of knowledge among the committee members about their
roles, responsibilities and mandates. Their inability to coordinate the stakeholder activities as
well as the limited knowledge about the relationship between the Free State Mini Drug
Master Plan (FSMDMP) and the LDACs also appeared to be challenging. The main
conclusions drawn from the study are that despite the excellent structure of the LDACs to
coordinate the implementation of the FSMDMP, the members of the LDACs are neither
knowledgeable about nor capacitated to fulfil their roles and responsibilities to meet the
intended requirements and implement the activities of the FSMDMP, factors which hamper
sustainability. The lack of financial support from Government to fund the activities of the
LDACs in the Province is another major impediment in terms of sustainability.
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Keywords
Substance abuse, Local Drug Action Committees (LDACs), Stakeholders, Sustainability