South Africa launches Africa’s first national Drug Decriminalisation Coalition

On the 26th June 2026, as communities around the world mark the Support Don’t Punish campaign’s Global Day of Action, South Africa will launch the Drug Decriminalisation Coalition (or Vusubuntu Decriminalisation Coalition) – the first national coalition on drug decriminalisation in Africa and an important milestone in the evolution of drug policy reform efforts.

For too many years, conversations about drug policy reform in Africa have largely taken place in silos. Harm reduction organisations have focused on expanding access to health services, human rights groups have highlighted the harms associated with criminalisation, researchers have generated growing bodies of evidence on the social and public health impacts of punitive drug policies, and networks of people who use drugs have continued to advocate for dignity, inclusion and meaningful participation in policy-making processes. While these efforts have produced important advances, they have often operated independently of one another.

The launch of the Drug Decriminalisation Coalition reflects the growing recognition that meaningful policy reform requires a coordinated collective approach.

Building a coalition for change

The Drug Decriminalisation Coalition has been established as a multi-sector platform bringing together people who use drugs, harm reduction and drug policy advocates, researchers, legal experts, civil society organisations, public health stakeholders, practitioners, community organisations and human rights defenders committed to advancing evidence-based drug policy reform in South Africa.

Its founding Steering Committee reflects this diversity, comprising representatives from networks of people who use drugs, civil society organisations, legal and policy experts, and public health practitioners. This broad representation reflects a shared recognition that drug policy reform cannot be achieved through isolated interventions but requires collaboration across sectors and meaningful participation by those most affected by criminalisation.

The Coalition is guided by the following vision statement:

“A South Africa which is safe, healthy, and inclusive. A society where no person is criminalized for their drug use. Our country’s response to drug use is rooted in compassion, evidence, health, human rights, and social justice. Decriminalisation of all drugs for private purposes is a move towards an ethical and constitutional imperative that reduces public harm, increases access to health and social services and may ease the burden on our criminal justice system. Together, with government, civil society, private sector, and the people most affected, we can endeavour to dismantle stigma, prevent disease, and redirect public resources to affirm public health, human rights and safety.”

This vision reflects a growing body of evidence demonstrating that criminalisation often exacerbates the very harms it purports to address. The Coalition’s vision further recognises decriminalisation as a public health, social and human right intervention. By removing criminalisation penalties for personal drug use and possession, resources can be redirected toward health services, harm reduction services, treatment, social support and community wellbeing.

Why now?

The Coalition emerges at a time of significant policy discussion within South Africa. Over the past decade, there has been increasing acknowledgement that punitive approaches have not achieved their intended objectives. Despite continued criminalisation, drug markets remain resilient, drug-related arrests continue to place pressure on the criminal justice system, and many people who use drugs continue to face barriers to accessing healthcare, harm reduction services, housing, employment and social support.

At the same time, harm reduction interventions in South Africa have demonstrated positive outcomes in a number of settings, while civil society organisations, academic institutions, and affected communities have continued to advance evidence-informed approaches to drug use. Discussions around the National Drug Master Plan, alternatives to incarceration, public health-centered responses and broader criminal justice reform have further contributed to an environment in which decriminalisation is increasingly recognised as a legitimate policy option worthy of serious consideration.

Against this backdrop, the Coalition seeks to provide a platform through which diverse stakeholders can engage collectively on questions relating to decriminalisation and drug policy reform.

A uniquely African contribution

The launch is also significant because it takes place within a regional context where discussions on drug decriminalisation remain relatively limited compared to other parts of the world. Across Africa, countries continue to grapple with the social, economic and health consequences associated with punitive drug control approaches. However, there are increasing signs of change. Harm reduction services have expanded in several countries. Courts have begun to engage with the questions of proportionality, rights and personal autonomy. Regional bodies and civil society networks have increasingly highlighted the need for evidence-based and human rights centred approaches to drug policy.

Support Don’t Punish

The 26th June is the United Nations International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, an occasion that has historically been used to ‘celebrate’ repressive responses. However, for more than a decade now, the global Support Don’t Punish campaign has also held its Global Day of Action on the 26th June to directly challenge the dominant narrative that punishment is an effective response to drug use. The campaign has helped elevate conversations around health, human rights, social justice and community wellbeing in countries across the world.

The decision to launch the Drug Decriminalisation Coalition on 26th June is therefore intentional. It situates South Africa’s efforts within this wider international movement while also recognising the need for locally grounded responses that reflect African realities, histories and policy contexts.

While drug policy debates are often shaped by global trends, reform efforts ultimately succeed or fail at the national and community levels. The Coalition therefore represents an attempt to bridge international evidence and experience with the specific social, legal and political realities of South Africa. Importantly, it also seeks to ensure that people who use drugs are not merely subjects of policy discussions but active participants in shaping them.

Looking ahead

The launch of the Drug Decriminalisation Coalition marks an important movement for South Africa’s drug policy reform movement and a notable development for the African region. Its establishment reflects the growing maturity of drug policy discussions within the country, the strengthening of alliances across sectors and an increasing willingness to engage with alternatives to punitive approaches.

As conversations on drug policy continue to evolve across Africa, the emergence of a broad-based coalition dedicated to advancing dialogue on decriminalisation offers an important example of how diverse stakeholders can come together to explore more effective, humane and evidence-informed responses to drugs.

On this year’s Support Don’t Punish Global Day of Action, South Africa joins a growing global movement seeking to reimagine drug policy through the lenses of health, human rights and social justice, while contributing a distinctly Africa voice to that conversation.