Harm Reduction Staff arrested by the South African Police Services 

At approximately 12h00 on 17 January 2017, police arrested three outreach workers delivering life-saving health interventions, endorsed by Gauteng Department of Health, to people who inject drugs in Marabastad, Tshwane. The three were told by the arresting officer, Warrant Officer (W/O) Mokholo, that the provision of sterile water to people who inject drugs was a criminal offence. Despite providing documentation from the Gauteng Department of Health and the University of Pretoria, and the intervention by National Department of Health officials, senior Police officers and others senior decision makers clarifying that the project was part of an essential health service, the two staff members from Step Up Project, run by OUT Wellbeing, and a University of Pretoria social worker, were charged with “Contravention of Section 22A of the Medicines and Related Substance Act 1965” and “Distribution of medical instruments to be used for illegal purposes”. The three, Derick Louw, Urell Olivier and Sukholuhle Tshuma, were eventually released on bail of R1000 each more than twelve hours later when the Chief Public Prosecutor, Mr Luphondo, arrived at the Pretoria Central charge office in the early hours of the morning, insisting on their release. The case was removed from the court role just before the three were due to appear in the Pretoria Magistrates Court. 

Urell Oliver one of the detainees was quoted saying: “This is not the first time that staff and service benefices have faced ongoing police harassment. Our service users are vulnerable and are not treated with any dignity. Many of them have died on our City streets”. 

The on-going harassment and stigma of people who inject drugs increases their disease burden. The Step-Up Project operates according to technical guidelines developed by the World Health Organisation and endorsed by the Department of Health and the South African National AIDS Council. The project has recorded a number of human rights violations by the police and law enforcement agencies against people accessing the project services. “We call on the Department of Health, South African Police Services and other authoritative bodies to act upon their employees that stigmatises urgent work and to put in place policies to prevent similar future occurrences.” Said Nelson Medeiros, the project coordinator from Out Wellbeing. 

For more information, please see the following article published by Mail & Guardian about the incident: http://bhekisisa.org/article/2017-01-19-00-police-pounce-on-health-workers-for-giving-clean-water-to-pretoria-drug-users

Step-Up Project 

The Step-Up Project offers health services to people who inject drugs. “Our aim is to prevent or reduce HIV infections and similar kinds of harms in the communities that use our services. This harm reduction approach focus on the individual’s health without condemnation or judgement of their practices. We are a community based organisation and all staff members are peers from the communities that we serve. This is critical to our project’s success as it helps us meet their needs and reach them where they are at. We work with our service users, local government and other organisations to create an environment that supports the wellness of everyone, including people who inject drugs” Mr Medeiros continued. 

Harm reduction programmes have been proven to: reduce petty crime and antisocial behaviour, lessen illicit drug use in communities, reduced prevalence of HIV and hepatitis, increased referrals and access to treatment programmes, health and social services, create a greater awareness and understanding of injecting drug use, create availability of mobile wellness services, fewer overdose deaths and reduces strain on the public health care system 

Contacts: 

Dawie Nel (OUT Well-being director): 083 379 2488 

Nelson Medeiros (Project Manager Step-Up): 081 320 3529 

Shaun Shelly (National Advocacy and Communication Manager TB HIV Care): 076 511 0863 

Professor Jannie Hugo (Head of Department Family Medicine University of Pretoria): 082 372 2435 

Steve Letsike (Co-chair of the South African National Aids Council, Director Access Chapter 2): 073 435 6501