Sipho Mayiza speaks about the grip that tik has on communities.
In the heart of Khayelitsha, a staggering youth unemployment rate approaching 60% presents young men with a harsh choice: gang involvement, drug addiction, or extreme poverty. Sipho Mayiza succumbed to this environment at 14, becoming ensnared by the grip of tik.
Yet, proving that one's circumstances do not dictate their future, Mayiza has achieved a remarkable turnaround at age 25. He has successfully escaped the cycle of addiction, reconciled with his family, and transitioned from the streets into a professional path.
"Hunger and cold become irrelevant when you are using tik," Mayiza said. "The only thing that matters is the next R50. And you will do anything—shame your family, rob your neighbours—to get it."
"I was 14 when I first tried it," he recalls. According to Mayiza, older men on the street corner provided it to him at no cost, promising he would feel like royalty. That initial experience brings a sense of invincibility, offering a temporary escape from the reality of living in a shack and the absence of food in the kitchen.
