The first school bell of 2026 rang with more than the promise of a new academic year at Leondale High School — it carried a renewed declaration: this campus will remain a drug-free zone.
On Tuesday, as schools reopened for Term 1, hundreds of learners led by World Changers Candidate (WCC) raised their hands in a powerful pledge rejecting drugs, peer pressure and the culture that once threatened to grip their community. The campaign, anchored in the movement Drug Free Gen 2030, focused sharply on Grade 8 learners — teenagers stepping into high school at the very moment experts say they are most vulnerable to experimentation and negative influence.
“The first day of school sets the tone for the next five years of a child’s life,” said WCC founder Lucas Mahlakgane.
“Grade 8 is where identities are shaped. If we don’t reach them now, drug pushers and negative peers will. This pledge is about protecting that generation before the battle even begins.”
A school reclaiming its story
Leondale High’s journey has not been easy. In 2022 the school was rocked by a viral video showing learners smoking cannabis on the premises — a moment that sparked national outrage and forced urgent intervention. In response, learners publicly vowed to denounce the so-called ‘420 high holiday’ as part of a broader fight against substance abuse
That turning point led to a partnership between the school, WCC, the Ekurhuleni local municipality, SAPS, community leaders and parents. Intensive awareness programmes, counselling sessions and random testing followed. A year later Leondale High was officially declared a drug-free zone — a milestone celebrated across the province.
The movement gained further momentum when learners launched a national petition opposing the sale of alcohol at school function.and later revived the spirit of Youth Day in their stand against drugs.
Grade 8s at the heart of Drug Free Gen 2030
Tuesday’s pledge was deliberately aimed at newcomers. WCC ambassadors — senior learners who have walked the recovery and resilience path — stood side by side with the Class of 2026, explaining how quickly “trying once” can become a lifetime struggle.
Dozens of new ambassadors signed up on the day, committing to be peer mentors. Videos and images of learners taking the pledge will be shared on WCC platforms under the #DFG2030 campaign, amplifying the message beyond Leondale’s gates.
“The drug culture feeds on silence,” Mahlakgane said. “When learners speak for themselves, the dealers lose power.”
The Leondale activation marks the start of a wider Ekurhuleni rollout. WCC confirmed that learner selection for the Say No to Peer Pressure Campaign will take place across four schools during January. The programme kicked off on 13 January 2026 at Leondale Secondary School and will continue in the following weeks at Elspark Hoërskool and Elsburg Hoërskool,l before concluding later in January at Dinwiddie High School.
According to the organisation, the selection process identifies peer ambassadors who will drive the Drug Free Gen 2030 message throughout the year, offering mentorship to vulnerable learners and creating early-warning networks inside schools.
A national crisis demands local action
The urgency of such programmes is underscored by tragedies across the country. In 2022, 21 teenagers died during a Pens-Down celebration at Enyobeni Tavern in the Eastern Cape — a devastating reminder of how quickly young lives can be lost without sustained prevention and guidance. Similar incidents in communities nationwide show that the battle against substances cannot be seasonal; it must be constant.
The Central Drug Authority has repeatedly endorsed WCC’s work, warning against the normalisation of cannabis use among minors.
Artists and public figures have also joined the drive, including the launch of the anti-drug anthem ‘Say No’ with ambassador Buhle Samuels (🔗 Read more about the anti-deug song here) and recent inspiration drawn from Pastor Kabelo Mabalane’s sobriety message to Ekurhuleni learners.
More than a pledge — a protection plan
Leondale’s model has become a blueprint for other schools in Ekurhuleni, with several institutions joining the movement. WCC has even presented its concerns to Parliament, opposing provisions in the BELA Bill that could enable alcohol sales at school event. Further Reading: CDA 2023/4 National Drug Master Plan.
For the Grade 8s who stood in the quad on Tuesday, the message was simple: their high-school story will not be written by dealers or peer pressure.
As one learner read aloud from the pledge: “I choose my future over drugs. I choose life. I choose Drug Free Gen 2030.”
