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Mpumelelo Nyoni, Chronicle Reporter
THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has said modernising youth centres may be the key to getting rid of the Vuzu party menace among the youth in the city.
In an interview, BCC chamber secretary Mrs Sikhangele Zhou said council had been consulting the community on ways to upgrade Bulawayo’s 12 youth centres.
“We have programmes that we are continuing with. Different communities are suggesting different things now because times have changed and hence interests change.
“Nowadays everyone has a television in their house. When I grew up, you could count the number of people with a television set in their house,” said Mrs Zhou.
In the past, youth centres were popular among the youth as they could go and watch films that played on projected screens.
With the advancement of technology, youths can now watch films on laptops and smart phones.
“Youths are being consulted on what exactly they want to do at the youth centres. We are engaging them and it is our intention to continuously revive and promote youth centres. Perhaps films are not what the children want to watch at the youth centres,” Mrs Zhou said.
Lack of proper parenting, she said, should be blamed for the prevalence of Vuzu parties as the girl child should not be allowed out after dark as this puts her at risk of being sexually abused.
“The youths are normally rowdy at night as evidenced by the Vista scenario. Youth centres will be closed at that time, even if they were vibrant. Our expectation as council is that if the community still has a moral fibre, parenting is everyone’s responsibility. When a girl child who is 16 or 17 years old is not at home at 10PM, as a parent, where do you think your child will be?
“Council cannot be looking after your child during that time. It’s a question that we must ask the whole community of Bulawayo,” said Mrs Zhou.
Mr Mthandazo Ndlovu, a drug rehabilitation specialist and adolescent addictions counsellor, weighed in saying youths are facing drug, alcohol and pornography addiction and these have a causal effect on the prevalence of Vuzu parties.
“Vuzu parties are a result of transitional addiction. In other words, alcohol and drug abuse is a driver to other forms of addiction like sex due to the urge to get excited.
“Science will say that the number two drug of excitement after cocaine is sex, hence you find these sex drivers at Vuzu parties. Youths become creative in organising activities that lead to excitement. Hence pornography becomes a driver because once one begins to view it, they will find ways of experiencing that,” said Mr Ndlovu.
Police arrested 131 rowdy youths in Bulawayo over the weekend in an operation that saw law enforcement agents also confiscating alcohol and sex enhancing pills from teenagers headed to Vuzu parties.
Alert cops also arrested a 28-year-old kombi driver, Nkosiphile Ndlovu, who was driving a Toyota Hiace with number plate ADZ 1987 after intercepting the vehicle, which was headed towards Mahatshula suburb.
The kombi had 25 youths and it was loaded with alcohol, nine packets of unused condoms, sex enhancing pills and mbanje.
Three of the more than 100 youths who were arrested were on Monday each sentenced to three months in prison.
Bhekumuzi Moyo (20), Prichard Sibanda (22) and Alex Ndlovu (20) were ordered to complete an effective 105 hours of community service after pleading guilty to criminal nuisance.
Online Reporter