THE education department’s warning against pens down parties seems to have fallen on deaf ears.
After the term ended on Friday, pupils gathered in KwaMashu to drink booze and to take drugs.
On Saturday two girls believed to be from Umgababa on the south coast were admitted to KwaMashu Community Health Centre after taking a drug called Mercedes.
People said the girls rolled on the ground foaming at the mouth.
A hospital witness said one of the two girls arrived singing and wasn’t wearing shoes but she later fell silent.
When the SunTeam got there, the girl was quietly sitting in a wheelchair.
People thought the drug had locked her mouth shut.
A nurse said: “We don’t have the details of the one girl because she can’t speak and there is no file for her.
“A relative took the other to a private hospital.”
She said the girl who couldn’t speak was transferred to King Edward VIII Hospital. And added that hopefully she would be able to speak again when the drug had left her system. The incident comes two months after four young people from KwaMashu died and 23 were admitted to hospital after taking drugs.
Education spokesman Scelo Khuzwayo said they appealed to pupils to use their break to study and not to become involved with drugs.
“We do feel for the girls and wish them a speedy recovery,” he said.
Lieutenant-Colonel Shooz Magudulela said operations were held around KZN to control pupils’ movements on the last day of school. “Only two girls were reported to have abused drugs and were admitted to hospital,” he added.
