New Narconon center brings effective drug addiction treatment to the African continent using the proven rehab methods based on the discoveries of L. Ron Hubbard. The impressive ribbon-cutting ceremony featured numerous dignitaries who praised the breathtaking facility.
Taking another historic step toward combating the plague of drug addiction, Narconon opened a continental drug rehabilitation center on December 30, 2023, in Rustenburg, South Africa, at the foot of the majestic Magaliesberg Mountains.
Occupying a 520-acre compound that also stands as a wildlife sanctuary, the sprawling 27-building residential complex includes dedicated facilities for withdrawal, detoxification, training and residential housing—along with stunning lookout decks for panoramic savannah views. The more than 1,600 guests and dignitaries who attended the Grand Opening ceremony marveled at the expansive facility.
Ms. Nozibele Makanda, National Head of Municipal Health Services, spoke to the audience during opening ceremonies: “While there are hundreds of drug prevention programs throughout Africa, none address why the addict turned to drugs in the first place. But Narconon has a proven track record. I cannot wait for this center to provide a real-time, real-life, long-term solution to addiction. And so, as Narconon is certainly my program of choice, I am determined to see Narconon centers replicated all across our great land.”
Ms. Makanda’s desire to see Narconon spread across Africa is assured, as the South African facility is a continental training center, meaning it not only treats addicts but will also train additional African drug rehab professionals in the Narconon method. And many South African health officials have already requested Narconon training for their own drug rehabilitation staffs.
Currently, many South African addicts complete existing drug treatment programs, but end up back in rehab within a year. In South Africa, that appalling lack of success presents a major problem. According to official estimates, in a population of 60 million, approximately one in five adults abuse drugs, from alcohol and opioids to marijuana and heroin.
“This new center communicates hope, resilience and the transformative power of rehabilitation to inspire lasting change,” Mr. Eugene Ngoetjana, a featured speaker and Secretary General of BRICS South Africa (International Alliance), said to the guests.
“It brings the tools needed to combat addiction. Narconon means less drugs, less crime and less money in the wrong hands to perpetuate evil. And that’s the most powerful catalyst for change imaginable.”
The newest Narconon center, located two hours from both Johannesburg and Pretoria, offers hope for the change needed to free the continent from the crippling scourge of drug dependency.
“Truth be told, this new center stands as a stronghold, not just for South Africa, but for our entire continent,” notable speaker Mr. Thamsanqa Maqubela, CEO and Founder of the South African Council for Graduates, said at the opening.
“It permeates the great veld and represents the very essence of Ubuntu—that we are human only through the humanity of others. Through this lifesaving technology of the venerated L. Ron Hubbard, you are empowering our graduates, you are steering them away from suffering and moving them to heights of freedom one can scarcely imagine. My heart is filled with joy for the bright future to come through this new Narconon Africa.”
Another dignitary who spoke at the opening agrees the Narconon center can become a linchpin for change.
“In Narconon I see a strong partner,” Ms. Busisiwe Memela, CEO of the South African Social Security Agency, said. “A partner I can work together with to break the glass ceiling of rehabilitation. We are going to change our country—street by street and community by community. The souls and spirits of South Africans are resilient, and we are going to re-instill in them that they all have ‘positive value added.’ That they are the architects of their lives and that the potential they hold is worth the risk of confronting their addictions.
“It has been said that in the darkest skies we see the brightest stars. So today, all of South Africa shines bright. I wish Narconon the very greatest of success and look forward to working with you to create an even stronger Africa. Our Africa.”
The day’s final guest speaker, Bishop Thabo Mapela, Deputy President of the South African Christian Ministers Council, summed up the reaction to the newest drug rehabilitation facility on the continent and the hope it brings to the land considered the birthplace of humanity.
“Our great leader Mandela said, ‘To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others,’” Bishop Mapela remarked during his speech at the opening. “And that is what I see in this new Narconon center.
“I see a highly effective program that gives Man the knowledge and power to take control of his life. You provide knowledge that can help bring people back to God and reverse the moral decline of society. And now with this pristine facility, it’s plain to see why you rehabilitate lives like no one else in the drug rehabilitation field. Our country and our continent need this. So yes, we are well and truly blessed that Narconon Africa is now here.”
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For more than 50 years, the Narconon program has saved the lives of countless individuals who were thought lost to substance abuse forever. Its mission is to provide an effective path for drug abuse rehabilitation and to assist society in reversing the scourge of abuse worldwide.
Narconon centers operate today across 6 continents. For more information, visit narconon.org or call 1-888-821-7750.
