Mandrax, imported from India or locally produced in South Africa, is a popular illicit drug among segments of the South African populace. The amount of drugs transiting South Africa to the U.S. is probably minimal. General budgetary constraints have meant that SAG subsidies for non-government drug rehabilitation agencies have been cut the last two to three years. There are many people seeking treatment who are unable to register with any program, and for those who manage to enter a rehabilitation program, available services are constrained by lack of resources. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs.
Crime is an important issue in South Africa.
While much criminal activity is restricted in its impact to South Africa, an important share of all crime has an impact on the region, and on the rest of the world. U.S. law enforcement officers from the DEA, FBI, U.S. Customs, and Secret Service cooperate successfully with their South African counterparts. The U.S. also urges SAG to propose legislation that will strengthen South Africa's legal system and provide a legal framework for prosecuting more sophisticated organized criminal activities, including drug trafficking. This unit targets organized crime and high-profile crime of all sorts. In the last two years the JACC has become an important focus of U.S.-South African anticrime and counternarcotics cooperation efforts.