Drug abuse consumes Showbiz
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Monday September 8, 2025 15:41
The drug problem that has long bedevilled the entertainment industry is causing concern not just on account of its excess, but for being unstoppable.
Revelations from industry players this week during the late artist’s memorial service showed that entertainers are users, recovering drug addicts, or are aware of the drug abuse in the industry.
ATI, whose body will be buried in Lerala tomorrow, has left the country in deep pain, heartbroken, as musicians and other relevant stakeholders called on the government to take action on the rampant drug problem in the creative sector.
Those in the arts and entertainment industry are said to be drawn to illicit substances due to creative pressure, irregular working hours, and sometimes the partying culture associated with the sector.
According to ATI’s father, William Molemogi, ATI struggled with drug abuse. He said he only remembered taking him to five rehabilitation centres, where he would go and come back clean. However, he said, when they were still rejoicing in ATI’s achievement, his friends brought him packaged drugs, leading to a relapse of the artist.
He pleaded with the government to build rehabilitation centres , saying it was high time; the latter depended on expertise from outside to address the drug abuse issues in Botswana. He also said they always went to seek rehabilitation help from South Africans. Molemogi also said he wished to build a rehabilitation center and name it after his son, naming it ‘ATI Rehabilitation Centre’.
Meanwhile, Kesego Kebalaele- Okie, who worked with ATI most notably during the artist’s One Man Show in 2022, said back in 2016, ATI confessed to her that he used some drugs and wanted to take himself to a rehabilitation centre. She added that even though ATI ended up succumbing to drug abuse, he attempted to quit drugs countless times.
“ATI talked about challenges that the creative faced in his music. He was struggling with drugs, but he refused to bow. In one of his songs that is a national anthem, he bared his soul, pain, and addiction. His longing for redemption bore witness but also as the fact that vulnerability is thriving and the wounded can heal others. ATI struggled with the storm. He was one of the few who were open to talking about it. Even though he struggled, he shared with us his addiction,” said COSBOTS CEO, Letlhogonolo Makwinja.
Furthermore, Makwinja said there was a lot to be done to address the drug abuse issue amongst young people, more especially in the creative sector. He added that if no action was taken, the country would continue mourning and burying young people. He called on local artists to hold campaigns against drug abuse, saying there was little COSBOTS and other musicians’ organisations could do to address the issue.
Additionally, Prophet Joel Keitumele, who had also been in the creative industry for years, called on the government through relevant ministries to make a home that can help artists like ATI. Botswana Musicians (BOMU) acting president Papie Rakhudu urged artists to stop complaining about the lack of airplay, but rather fix their ways and stop drug abuse. He said it was up to musicians to stand against drugs and substance abuse and also be radical about their choices. He reminded them that they were role models and that young people idolize them. He called on parents to be there for their children as they enter the creative industry. He said they needed mental support because the profession is full of challenges.
“I am a recovering drug addict, and I thank God for being here. As the youth, we have problems. It is high time we address this issue. As we speak, we are sick. In the past, we used to shy away from HIV, and we buried our loved ones. We were even ashamed to talk about it. Let's all stand up and fight. Botswana, young musicians, we can do it together,' media personality Dollar Mac said during ATI’s memorial this week.
“We are a creative industry, we are very close to God, hence he is the creator and we are the creative. It has not been three months since, and we are lost artists. What do we do about it? To those men and women in parliament, we need help. The writing is on the wall. We have buried more. I want to remind Botswana to be kind. It is not about you, it is about the people, it is about the country,” said music promoter Zenzele Hirschfield.