MUSICIAN and pastor Kabelo Mabalane has urged people battling substance abuse not to give up, saying a life free from drugs is possible.
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Kabelo, who’s been free from substance abuse for 24 years, shared his recovery journey during a drug-awareness campaign at the Rondebult Sports Grounds in Ekurhuleni on Tuesday, 22 September.
The Xolani Khumalo Foundation hosted the campaign in conjunction with the World Changers Candidates and Ke Moja.
Kabelo, who rose to fame as a member of popular kwaito group TKZee, said he accepted the invitation because he had never forgotten where he came from.
“I come from a community like this, so when Lucas asked me to come and just say a few words, spend time with the community and support the message of a drug-free society, it’s something I don’t even think twice about,” he said.
Kabelo said his own experience had shown him people struggling with addiction could turn their lives around.
“I’m here to say that being free from drugs is possible,” he said.
He urged people battling addiction to seek help, saying there was support available to those willing to reach out.
“The biggest lie is there’s no help and no one wants to help,” he said.
“We live in the information age. Information is at our fingertips, so please get some information so you can get some help.”
The pastor said he decided to stop using drugs after realising his lifestyle was working against the future he wanted, despite his then music career continuing to grow.
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“I realised I was on my way. My career was still there, I was working hard, but I understood that what I was doing was counterproductive,” said Kabelo.
He credited people around him for speaking to him at a time when he was ready to listen.
“There were people who were just there at the right time to say, ‘You’re going to destroy your life. You can do so much more.’ I was really ready to hear,” he said.
Kabelo also thanked Lucas Mahlakgane, founder and chairman of the World Changers Candidates, for encouraging him to change his life.
“He told me there’s a good life waiting for me and I must stop taking drugs,” he said.
Kabelo added that his recovery was also closely linked to his Christian faith and finding purpose beyond addiction.
“We can get clean from drugs, but afterwards we need to connect with our God because it’s only when we connect with our God that we find purpose.”
Lucas said Kabelo’s 24-year recovery continued to inspire others.
“Kabelo is a good example of what’s possible when someone chooses recovery. Every time we celebrate his milestone, someone in the community gets impacted,” he said.
Lucas said two young people came forward after hearing Kabelo’s testimony and were assisted in accessing rehabilitation.
He said Kabelo’s recovery also inspired the formation of the World Changers Candidates.
“If this thing’s working, then we have to help more people. That’s when we registered World Changers Candidates,” he said.
