ON THE ROCK: AN UNFORGETTABLE HIGH

Brandon Lee Khan at uThongathi.

Mawande Mzobe

The youth of today has succumbed to the abuse of drugs and the hunger for money for a better lifestyle. The pressure within their generational spheres lays heavily on their shoulders, coupled with mental health issues which are hardly talked about within their social groups. They rely on escape methods that soon become addictions, which are hard to let go once hooked through a single blunt and blow.

A young, intelligent, and multi-talented man stands isolated hustling for survival whilst battling his addiction. Those who pass him think less of him as the condition of his clothes have defined him without him having to say anything. The conditions of his shoes are worn-out, old and seem to tear, but they are still functional. In his baggy clothes he smiles, greets, and continues his day job in repudiation of the ugly stares and looks passed onto him.

Brandon Lee Khan working during the day in uThongathi.

Brandon Lee Khan (25) has been battling with his addiction since the beginning of his twenties. It began with a day-to-day use of marijuana which slowly developed into his experiments of different kinds of drugs which have come and gone over the years.  Khan lives in UThongathi, KwaZulu-Natal, North of Durban with his family. The pressure of his peers experimenting, and his easy access to drugs made it easy for him to be influenced into even extreme drugs. Drugs which are hard to let go once one is hooked into the first try.

The young Khan holds certifications by AgriSeta in the field of Landscaping and Chainsaw operation certification. SEESA certifications in numerous areas of work which include Junior management qualification and customer service. After he attained his credentials, these opened his opportunity to work in the field horticulture under Eco-Balance. His stable work environment was put through hurdles and obstacles through the pandemic of Covid-19. He attained a win for a moment but it wasn’t long after he was let go due to increasing labour disputes surrounding his work position.   

Charmane Khan sits with her sons awards and certificates.
  

The son of Charmane Khan continues to consistently try to get help with his addiction, his mother is his daily motivation to be a better son to be a better dad to his two children. “ I am a father. I need to be a parent to my children. I need help to stop,” he says. “ I know the pain of growing up without the love of a father and I do not wish that for my children, I need to be a good example to my son. I need to be there to teach him how to be a man, I need for my daughter to know and feel a dad’s love.”

Dept details into attaining his credentials and finding employment.

Constantly being influenced and not wanting to be left out, Khan experimented with the worst nightmare of his life. He met an unforgettable high which sucked him in, made him feel good through its power. It fell in love with his body and attached itself to his everyday need. “Rock is an Eet-Sum-Mor. You rather not start smoking that one hit, trust me you will want to smoke again. You keep coming back for some more,” he elucidates.

A business opportunity arose as Khan noted the prices of the drugs they consumed. He began his journey of becoming a “merchant”, a term commonly used in local townships describing a person who sells and distributes drugs. “ I started selling Xanax where I ordered 10 bottles which made me R10 000 as each bottle carried 100 pills which were sold at R10.” As new drugs came into the local area, he became aware of these, experimented, and sold them to continue make an income. “I sold these drugs, from moon, whoonga and rock.”

                                  Photograph showing cocaine.

‘A loving home’

Khan was raised by his mother with his sister, his father lived in Johannesburg for work and usually came home after a long period of time. He lost his way after his mother relocated to be with his dad. The freedom of his household allowed him to feed his habits of consistent parting and sleepless days with high volumes of drugs in his system which became his functioning mechanism. “ I sold drugs as I worked. I used to leave my friends in the house to carry on the business as I went to work. My home was a home for those I called friends back then, I opened my home doors to them,” he explains. “ The money I made I spent it with my friends and lived.” 

Most of the friends he once knew have gone, things become congested with their drug uses which often led to arguments and distrust among friends. His circle became smaller from what it was. “ I felt betrayed as a friend, the dreams we had and the plans we made,” Lebohang Mbense a friend of Khan shares. “I know he is a good person that I know him as. It is just the addiction his currently facing. I don’t blame him for his addiction, I wish he could have tried and fought to not let it get to this point as he has two young children who need him.”  

“We grew up together with Brandon, he was talented and always confidence. He used to dance, rap and sing, catching the attention of our peers. He still has a lot of potential to be a better version of himself, the version I know he wants to be,” said Gabriel Khan who is a cousin.

Khan’s life turned for the worst when he lost his job and relied on dealing drugs financially which landed him behind bars. He was caught with substances which got him convicted after his second offense landing him in Westville Prison where he spent 3 months. Afraid, alone with no turning back time Khan lived his worst fear.